Mr. Speaker, this past March, Statistics Canada found that Canadians with Asian backgrounds have reported increased racial harassment during the pandemic. While systemic racism against Asian Canadians is certainly not new, it has increased exponentially during the pandemic.
Earlier this month, I hosted Halton MPs and stakeholders for an anti-Asian racism round table with the Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth to discuss the disturbing acts of discrimination and racism facing people of Asian descent in our communities and steps we can take to fight it.
The members of Halton's Asian Canadian community have been leaders during the pandemic, distributing PPE and sanitizer and adopting public health measures early on. We have a diverse and active Asian Canadian community in Halton, and we all have a responsibility to support those facing racism and stand united to ensure that everyone in Canada is treated equitably.