Sheila Wong (MPI Toronto Chapter) and Dr. Gina Wong could not stay silent. It was time to take a stand against anti-Asian racism. The result? Asian Gold Ribbon Day 2021—May 20, during Asian Heritage Month—a campaign intended to inspire ongoing commitment for social change and a lasting Asian movement in celebration of Asian culture and heritage.

“According to Statistics Canada, the proportion of visible minorities who perceived an increase in the frequency of harassment or attacks based on race, ethnicity or ski color has increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Sheila Wong, CEM, DES, senior vice president of BBW International Event Staff. “This difference was most pronounced among Chinese (30 percent), Korean (27 percent) and Southeast Asian (19 percent) participants. We recognize that we stand on the shoulders of Black Lives and the Indigenous peoples who came before us. Our aim to is stand together as minorities in solidarity for one race—the human race.”

This campaign started only seven weeks ago when the co-founders were strangers in different cities—Dr. Gina Wong is a Registered Psychologist based in Calgary.

“From education comes understanding and tolerance.”

“As the racism reports increased, Gina was called on as a psychologist and professional from Athabasca University to speak about the mental health component of racism in the media,” Sheila Wong says. “She was moved by the reports she was hearing from others during these interviews and could no longer stay silent. After connecting with me through an email introduction by a mutual acquaintance, the campaign was born.”

She says that since rallies and marches wouldn’t be possible, instead they focused on developing a visibility campaign.

“People can take action by making and wearing a gold ribbon or purchasing an AGR mask, then taking selfies and posting them on social media platforms,” Sheila Wong says. “You can also use your profile picture frames on Facebook to say, ‘Proud to be Asian’ or ‘I’m an Asian Ally.’ Engage in the campaign and encourage your network to do the same. Openly admit that any form of racism is not OK.

“Our industry can support the campaign by booking us as speakers to provide education. From education comes understanding and tolerance. We are holding an East Asian Youth Summit on May 20. Our guest panelists are government officials, and we will present them with a call to action based on the discussion.”

Sheila Wong says she has been astounded by the level of support and encouragement for the campaign.

“Some corporate sponsors have stepped up to help fund the campaign. The CN Tower, Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place and Niagara Falls will light up gold on May 20,” she says. “The most important piece is that we want the youths to take back their pride in their heritage. One of our youth panelists said that until the AGR campaign came along, she was ashamed of being Chinese and she wanted to not be different from her Caucasian friends. This is part of what happens when we internalize the racism we experience.”

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash