On Monday in Chapel, student members of our Asian Affinity Group were pleased to announce that the month of May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada.
Asian Heritage Month was designated to celebrate the contributions that people of Asian descent have made and continue to make, to the development and prosperity of Canada. It is also a month to showcase Asian art, history and culture.
Thank you to Shenda ’22, Eman ’22, Alana ’22, Jesse ’22, Amy ’23, Rori ’22, Min ’22, Yeseo '22 and Ms. Confesor who shared a diversity of meaningful historical perspectives about the role that people of Asian descent played in Canada, stories about their heritage and lived experiences, and recited the poetry of Rupi Kaur and Ocean Vuong during the presentation. As a community, we learned more about the prevalence of anti-Asian hate crimes around the world, how the pandemic spurred its impact, and the various ways Lakefield's Asian community has shared and celebrated cultural events and festivities at the school.
Please enjoy reading excerpts from Monday’s Chapel program.
“Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated in Canada since the 1990s. It is a month designated to celebrate the contributions that people of Asian descent have made and continue to make, to the development and prosperity of Canada. It is also a month to showcase Asian art, history and culture. The theme for this year’s Asian Heritage Month is — Celebrating Innovation and Perseverance.” - Jesse ’22
“I am in awe of the resilience that has been guiding our community for decades. Despite all the hardships and acts of discrimination throughout our history, we are still here, and we too, call Canada our home.” - Alana ’22
“This Asian Heritage Month, I honour my grandparents and my parents, who are some of the most hardworking people I know, and the pioneers of Asian descent who helped build the foundation of our country.” - Alana ’22
“Asian Heritage Month is a time for me to reflect and be grateful for all of the sacrifices that my parents have made, similar to many other immigrant families. It is also a reminder for me to continue to celebrate and embody the important values of Filipino culture in everything that I do in my daily personal life and also within the various roles I have here at LCS. Salamat (which is thank you in my language).” - Ms. Confesor
“What Asian Heritage Month means to me: an opportunity to share with our community, and to remind myself, of the diversity in and across Asia.” - Eman ’22
We look forward to the many events our Asian Affinity Group has planned for the month of May!