How having queer folks in power at non-queer media organizations can shift coverage
In 2020, Viet Tran launched the magazine Sticky Rice, which focuses on Asian Canadian issues, in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rising wave of anti-Asian racism. A psychiatrist by training, Tran is the editor-in-chief of this successful publication, and we sat down with him to discuss how being a gay Asian man…
Asian spa workers reflect on the Atlanta shootings, one year later
On the first anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings which left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women and spa workers, massage work has been shoved in the spotlight. Despite the longstanding stigmatism of massage businesses due to their association with sex work, many spa workers don’t engage in sex work. Numerous spa…
Ruth Lor Malloy
Ruth Lor Malloy (née Lor), journalist, writer, activist (born 4 August 1932, in Brockville, ON). Malloy was a key figure in fighting against discrimination in Ontario in the 1950s (see Prejudice and Discrimination in Canada). She participated in the high profile Dresden restaurant sit-in of 1954. In 1973, she published the first English-language guidebook to…
LGBTQ+ Asians Look to Michigan Rave Scene for Acceptance and Found Family
The latest group driving the rave renaissance has been steadily full of Asian faces, including many queer Asians. These partygoers find community, joy and acceptance in the scene, which, for the queer Asian demographic, is a communal experience that harks back to collectivist cultures that highly value group gatherings. Many Asian ravers can be spotted…
Can Acupuncture Treat Endometriosis Effectively?
Endometriosis is a painful condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus (endometrium) grows outside the uterus. For some endometriosis sufferers who find little relief from Western medicine, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) option such as acupuncture might be attractive. Research on the matter is small and inconclusive but a mixture of…
Pakistan’s trans community fears loss of protections as senator launches attack on trans rights bill
Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party, Pakistan’s largest religious party, filed a petition to rescind protections for trans people in the country arguing that Pakistan’s 2018 Transgender Rights Bill went against the country’s Islamic principles. The senator also suggested that people who wish to change their gender marker should undergo a medical test first,…
Sprouting seeds of hope: How a garden united Montreal’s Chinese diaspora
Creating a community environment of sharing and increasing awareness of food security and urban sustainability are the aims of Green Chinatown Montreal (GCM). Founded in 2011 in Montreal’s Chinatown the GDM brought together multiple generations of Chinese-Canadians and helped them reconnect with nature and their agricultural roots. Today it finds itself in whatever space is…
Racism led to a rise in anti-Asian hate in the pandemic. What the community wants to see in Canada’s next leader
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about many challenges and disruptions and among them was a spike in anti-Asian racism. Asian-Canadians seniors faced a surge of attacks and many Asian-Canadian businesses were the victim of vandalism. In this article we hear from members of the Chinese-Canadian community on their concerns regarding this issue, access to health-care,…
Vegetarianism Has Deep Spiritual Roots in Asian Cultures – Yet Many Asian Vegetarians Report Feeling Judged, Attacked, and Dismissed
Vegetarianism runs deep in many Asian cultures and adopting a vegetarian lifestyle is on the rise worldwide. Yet, alongside this rise there has also been a disturbing rise in racist and xenophobic behaviour among vegetarian communities. I talked to multiple Asians about their experiences relating to their vegetarian diets and challenges from their own communities…
Un projet de restaurant crée un tollé dans la communauté asiatique de Montréal
La publicité d’un restaurant qui ouvrira bientôt, Geisha Montreal, a provoqué un tollé dans la communauté asiatique de Montréal. Cette campagne promotionnelle comprend des images de femmes asiatiques hypersexualisées, des fausses geishas, et mélangé des cultures différentes. Avec la montée du racisme anti-asiatique, d’appropriation culturelle, et que les propriétaires du restaurant effaçaient les commentaires critiques…
De l’adoption à l’immigration, les défis de santé mentale dans la communauté asiatique
Pour beaucoup des asiatiques, il peut être difficile de discuter de santé mentale pour de multiples raisons. Mais à cause de racisme souffert pendant la pandémie, cet enjeu a été mis en lumière. L’adoption, l’immigration et l’adaptation à la société d’accueil sont tous des réalités qui affectée la santé mentale des asiatiques. Cet article a…
Dialogue avec la communauté sino-montréalaise
Dans le cadre de l’exposition Dialogue avec la communauté sino-montréalaise, j’ai écrit une série de textes qui abordent des thèmes majeurs qui touchent notre communauté – les nouveaux arrivants, l’art sino-montréalais, l’aménagement urbain du Quartier chinois, et la résistance de notre communauté contre l’adversité. J’ai consulté beaucoup de gens issus de la communauté qui ont…
The Revolutionary Anger of Asian Women
For Asian women in the diaspora, the denial of our anger exists at the toxic intersection of sexism and the model minority stereotype, enforced on two fronts by white Western culture and from within our own communities. The prohibition of our rage actively endangers us. But attempts to suppress our anger also reveal its power: it…
Mois du patrimoine asiatique
À l’occasion du Mois du patrimoine asiatique, j’ai eu l’occasion de discuter avec trois aînés asiatiques aux origines et aux parcours très différents. Ces trois personnes m’ont très chaleureusement raconté leur histoire, leur périple jusqu’au Canada et leur quotidien. Je me suis entretenue avec M. Wei, un retraité shanghaïen qui a un lien fusionnel avec…
How Tam Found Empowerment in the Closet
Many queer people find incredible strength and power in the act of coming out fully as themselves. While being able to show up as our full queer selves in our lives is a very beautiful thing, it can also be a lot of pressure to craft the perfect official coming out. This is especially true…
Quartier chinois : la communauté se mobilise contre l’embourgeoisement
La semaine passée, la partie la plus ancienne du Quartier chinois a été achetée par Investissements 1000 Saint-Urbain. Le quartier est de nouveau dans une impasse, coincé face aux spéculateurs. L’inquiétude grandit devant les acheteurs de propriétés, qui menacent de réduire à néant ce quartier, dont la superficie diminue année après année. Les membres de la…
Do Queer Asians Even Exist?
This 3-part series of articles explores the different facets of queer Asian invisibility in Montreal and the specifics of that particular intersectionality. Throughout the series I follow the lives of six queer Asians in Montreal – Linh, JP, Shawn, Fang, S. and A.L. – as they navigate life at the intersection of their identities and…
Agression mortelle au Dépanneur de Lille: une communauté soudée dans le deuil
Avertissement: meurtre, racisme, funérailles, mention de crime haineux Le 15 november 2020, je me suis rendue aux funérailles de M. Yong, un propriétaire de dépanneur qui a été tué dans son commerce. J’ai discuté avec sa famille, ses amis, et plusieurs membres de la communauté pour honorer cet homme, faire entendre son histoire, et prêter…
Plan A Presents: The Rebel Minority
My millionth sincere attempt to become “the worst minority ot all time”, The Rebel Minority is my monthly column. Published on the first Wednesday of every month, I perform countercultural analyses of various societal and lifestyle phenomena in a sometimes light, sometimes serious tone. The goal of this column is to break the veneer of…
Raving Asians Make the Bass Drop: The New Rave Culture
As part of an investigation into the cultural phenomenon of raves within the Asian diaspora, I talked to Asians in the United States, Canada and Australia to learn about their experiences in the subculture and investigate the reasons behind their popularity. Young Asian ravers, experienced Asian ravers who have been in the scene for decades…