Since the beginning of the pandemic, anti-Asian sentiment in Canada has surged to new heights. In the last few months, hate crimes against Asians have increased drastically, with assaults against members of our communities becoming commonplace in the daily news cycle. Ant-Asian hate crimes have seen more than a 700% increase in Vancouver alone, a disproportionate number of them targeting women and the elderly.

We have come together as Asian Canadian artistic leaders to condemn the anti-Asian violence that plagues our country and to send this message of support to our Asian communities: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We stand together in our differences; united by our caring, compassion, and respect for one another.

As we celebrate Asian Heritage Month in Canada, we urge each of you to support one another and remember the part that you have to play in stemming the tide of anti-Asian racism in our broader communities. The escalation of anti-Asian violence is part of a larger system with also perpetuates anti-Black and anti-Indigenous violence, and we invite you to join us in this action to fight systemic racism in all its incarnations.

If you are an Asian performing artist, leader, practitioner, or administrator please visit bocadellupo.com/StopAsianHate to be part of our initiative.