The Asian Gold Ribbon Campaign

WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY against anti-Asian racism and maintain the momentum of a 21st century global Asian movement. The Asian Gold Ribbon (AGR) Campaign is a platform developed for social change and to initiate wide-spread visibility against anti-Asian hate and racism– an optimistic renewal for generations of Asians feeling pride in who they are. We support Asian mental health and wellbeing, amplify Asian voices, and educate to raise awareness. What’s more, we focus upon the beauty of our Asian culture and heritage and unite in solidarity against all forms of racism. We unite to celebrate rather than hate.

The Asian Gold Ribbon Campaign is urging individuals, organizations, and communities to demonstrate visible solidarity against anti-Asian racism and to recognize its profound psychological impact. In correspondence with Asian Heritage Month, Asian and non-Asian persons around the world will wear AGR lapel pins and gold ribbons throughout the month of May to signify hope, unity, and solidarity for a better tomorrow. This year, we feature exclusive AGR + Hong Shing Restaurant Lunar New Year merchandise, which can be purchased at our shop.

Asian Gold Ribbon Day will take place on Monday, May 20, 2024 when participants join the visibility campaign by posting a photo/selfie and tagging @asiangoldribbon along with using the hashtag #asiangoldribbon while wearing AGR memorabilia. Planning meaningful events for our upcoming AGR Week (May 15-21, 2024) is underway.

Historically, the Government of Canada and the United States systematically legislated acts of racism against Asians through internment of Japanese Canadians in World War II and the Chinese Immigration Act that separated labourers from their families. In Canada, this came with a head tax increase from $50 to $500, totaling $23 million collected over 32 years from 82,000 Chinese immigrants. Chinese immigrants in the 19th century were also referred to as the ‘Yellow Peril’- a race who brings disease and virus into countries.  

COVID-19 has brought on a secondary pandemic and revival of anti-Asian hate and racism, particularly against East Asians and those who look Chinese. This is evident worldwide. 

The Human Rights Watch insists that “national action plans needed to counter intolerance,” and reveals a pandemic of anti-Asian hate in relation to COVID-19 in Italy, Brazil, France, Australia, Russia, UK, Spain, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Malaysia, Middle East, South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia¹. In India and Shri Lanka, COVID-19 related attacks towards Muslims are rampant. As well, there is racial mistreatment of Africans residing in Guangdong, China¹. Racial injustice due to COVID-19 worldwide is staggering. The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination condemns all forms of racial discrimination and the Asian Gold Ribbon campaign is our contribution toward this essential work.  

This campaign inspires outward expression of Asians, where we no longer suppress our voices. Reclaiming the colour yellow that has been used historically to denigrated and disparaged our race, the Asian Gold Ribbon campaign chooses gold, a celebratory shade of yellow, to reclaim the color with pride.  

The AGR Campaign is Upheld by Three Pillars:

1. Community Outreach

Asian Gold Ribbon offers social justice advocacy, education, and support activities for community residents, schools, and businesses, organizations, including virtual presentations, as well as the Podcast “Against the Tides of Racism,” hosted by Dr. Gina Ko. Educational resources for delivery to youth within schools or for parents to watch with their children to celebrate Asian culture and heritage is provided. We invite schools to participate in raising awareness and instilling pride in Asian youth, who have experienced a significant increase in racist incidents. Please visit the Invitation to Schools and Educational Resources to access modules.

2. Visibility and Celebration

Asian Gold Ribbon Day is Monday, May 20, 2024 corresponding with Asian Heritage month. Asian and non-Asian persons adorn AGR lapel pins, gold ribbons, and/or enjoy an AGR Yeti mug to signify hope, unity, and solidarity for a better tomorrow.

3. Asian Mental Health

This campaign inspires ongoing and lasting commitment for an Asian movement. Our funding target is $100,000 and contributes towards sustaining the campaign as well as the development of initiatives for mental health support programs and services for persons of Asian descent in the interest of healing and wellbeing. “We need bold action to incite longstanding and fundamental changes so the next generation will thrive, not just survive. We must demand investment in our Asian communities — the current narrative needs to be interrupted through radical action… There’s a profound need for a systemic-cultural shift that makes way for accessible and affordable Asian mental health services across Canada”². We also compel donations to the Asian Mental Health Collective in the U.S.

¹ Human Rights Watch. (2020, May 12). Covid-19 fueling anti-Asian racism and xenophobia worldwide: National action plans needed to counter intolerance. https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/05/12/covid-19-fueling-anti-asian-racism-and-xenophobia-worldwide

² Wong, Gina. “Year of the Tiger: An opportunity for bold changes in combatting anti-Asian racism.” The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2022, https://theconversation.com/year-of-the-tiger-an-opportunity-for-bold-changes-in-combatting-anti-asian-racism-174385.

亚洲金丝带运动

我们站在一起支持亚裔运动，我们起来庆祝亚裔文化和遗产。亚洲金丝带运动是一个平台，旨在发起广泛的宣传，对抗反亚裔种族主义。我们站在一起，以支持医治，扩大我们的声音，并通过教育提高公众意识。我们为加拿大和全球的亚裔青年、社区成员和长者的福祉进行倡导工作。

首届的亚洲金丝带日将于2022年5月20日举行，届时参加者将会把一张自拍照片发布，标签为 @asiangoldribbon 、主题标签为 #asiangoldribbon，从而加入这个旨在提高能见度的运动。

从历史上来看，加拿大政府曾系统地立法支持反亚裔种族主义行为，在第二次世界大战时，将日本裔加拿大人囚禁，此外也曾通过《中国移民法》将工人与其家人分离。随此行动而来的人头税从50加元增加到500加元，在三十二年内从82,000名中国移民中共征收了2,300万加元。

这场运动激发了亚裔人士挺身而出作出明显的回应，我们不再压制我们的声音。亚洲金丝带运动将于5月“亚洲文化遗产月”期间举行，并有“青年大使”和“长者大使”参与。
我们以黄色作为庆祝的象征，这个颜色在历史上曾一度被用来诋毁和贬低我们的种族 （例如，“黄祸”之说） 。在5月20日，我们将以佩戴AGR口罩和金丝带来表示团结、一致以及一个更美好的明天。

此AGR 运动由三大支柱支持：

1. 社区外展

为社区居民和组织提供社会公义方面的倡导工作、教育活动、和支援活动（包括虚拟演示）。提供为青少年们而设的教育资源，用以在“亚洲文化遗产月”期间内，在学校庆祝亚洲的文化遗产。有关详细资讯，请访问新项目一栏。

2.能见度和庆祝

亚洲金丝带日是 2021年5月20日星期四，与“亚洲文化遗产月”相对应。亚裔和非亚裔人士将会戴上口罩和金丝带作为打扮，以象征希望、团结、一致以及一个更美好的明天。有关详细资讯，请访问新项目一栏。

3. 筹款

此活动将要激发对亚裔运动的持续和持久承诺。我们要求大家向康福精神健康协会捐款，并推动为亚裔社群福祉而设的精神健康支援项目和服务的发展。

亞洲金絲帶運動

我們站在一起支持亞裔運動，我們起來慶祝亞裔文化和遺產。亞洲金絲帶運動是一個平台，旨在發起廣泛的宣傳，對抗反亞裔種族主義。我們站在一起，以支持醫治，擴大我們的聲音，並通過教育提高公眾意識。我們為加拿大和全球的亞裔青年、社區成員和長者的福祉進行倡導工作。

首屆的亞洲金絲帶日將於2022年5月20日舉行，屆時參加者將會把一張自拍照片發佈，標籤為 @asiangoldribbon 、主題標籤為 #asiangoldribbon，從而加入這個旨在提高能見度的運動。

從歷史上來看，加拿大政府曾系統地立法支持反亞裔種族主義行為，在第二次世界大戰時，將日本裔加拿大人囚禁，此外也曾通過《中國移民法》將工人與其家人分離。隨此行動而來的人頭稅從50加元增加到500加元，在三十二年內從82,000名中國移民中共徵收了2,300萬加元。

這場運動激發了亞裔人士挺身而出作出明顯的回應，我們不再壓制我們的聲音。亞洲金絲帶運動將於5月「亞洲文化遺產月」期間舉行，並有「青年大使」和「長者大使」參與。
我們以黃色作為慶祝的象徵，這個顏色在歷史上曾一度被用來詆毀和貶低我們的種族 （例如，「黃禍」之說） 。在5月20日，我們將以佩戴AGR口罩和金絲帶來表示團結、一致以及一個更美好的明天。

此AGR 運動由三大支柱支持：

1. 社區外展

為社區居民和組織提供社會公義方面的倡導工作、教育活動、和支援活動（包括虛擬演示）。提供為青少年們而設的教育資源，用以在「亞洲文化遺產月」期間內，在學校慶祝亞洲的文化遺產。有關詳細資訊，請訪問新項目一欄。

2. 能見度和慶祝

亞洲金絲帶日是 2021年5月20日星期四，與「亞洲文化遺產月」相對應。亞裔和非亞裔人士將會戴上口罩和金絲帶作為打扮，以象徵希望、團結、一致以及一個更美好的明天。有關詳細資訊，請訪問新項目一欄。

3. 籌款

此活動將要激發對亞裔運動的持續和持久承諾。我們要求大家向 康福精神健康協會 捐款，並推動為亞裔社群福祉而設的精神健康支援項目和服務的發展。