Taking a Stand: Disrupting Anti-Asian Discrimination
Mark your calendars! On Tuesdays in November, join the entire Algonquin College community for Taking a Stand: Disrupting Anti-Asian Discrimination.
This series of keynotes and workshops will feature nuanced information and skill building for inclusion to support learners, employees, and alumni. The events represent a diversity of voices and issues that focus on exploring race and racism, becoming actively anti-racist, and celebrating contributions from the Asian members of the Algonquin College community.
How to Register
Algonquin College students and employees will receive an email in October with links to register for the events. You can also email diversity@algonquincollege.com to receive an events calendar with registration links, in case you would like to highlight this calendar (or any particular events) to your learners, coworkers, staff, faculty, or grads.
Please use your Algonquin College email @algonquincollege.com or @algonquinlive.com email when registering for events.
Event Schedule
Developing Understanding to Disrupt Anti-Asian Discrimination • November 9, 9:30am-11am
This panel of experts (moderated by Farbod Karimi, Chair Learning & Teaching Services) will examine the meaning of, and complexity within, anti-Asian discrimination in our communities and campuses. Bringing in rigorous research, a grounding in pedagogy, and realized by lived experiences, this panel is not to be missed!
Dennis Kao (he/him/his) is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at Carleton University, where he teaches organizational and community practice. He currently supervises the Bachelor of Social Work program, which currently has over 350 undergraduate students studying to become social workers. His scholarship focuses on health equity issues impacting ethnic minority seniors, aging-friendly communities, and the applications of data visualization and geographic information systems (GIS)/spatial analysis for social work practice and research.
Cindy Tran (Journalist)
Cindy Tran is a Vietnamese Canadian journalist with CBC Ottawa. She is currently in her final year of her Master of Journalism at Carleton University. Prior to that she did her undergraduate degree at Western University in English Literature. Her personal encounters with racism have pushed her towards centralizing her work on advocacy for marginalized communities through journalism. For her Master’s research project she is looking at the arduous road home for Vietnamese Refugees and how personal trauma and socioeconomic barriers have prevented many of them from returning post-war.
Mary Reid (Professor)
Dr. Mary Reid is an Assistant Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Mary is a first generation Canadian of Hakka Chinese descent and is a settler on Turtle Island. As an executive member of the Asian Canadian Educators Network (ACENet), she leads the research committee which primarily focuses on examining Asian educators’ and students’ experiences. Her scholarship centres on the model minority myth and its impact on Asian students in STEM classrooms. In March of 2021, she was featured in a CBC article about anti-Asian racism.
This is an advanced training that provides participants with the basic skills to become an active bystander. This training includes short videos, partner sharing, small group activities, templates for challenging discussions, and scenarios and activities for practice. This special offering will focus on microaggressions directed at the Asian community.
At the completion of workshop, participants will be able to:
Identify commonly targeted social identity groups
Understand and counter the “bystander effect” psychology at the root of inaction
Recognize the conditions which promote and inhibit bystander intervention
Use a variety of strategies to effectively interrupt potentially harmful situations
Respectfully support those who have been targeted
Effectively “call in” those in our community who are doing the harm
Eyes Open: The Making of a Viral PSA • November 16, 3pm-4:30pm
In May 2021, the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice released a powerful PSA (public service announcement) that challenges all Canadians to confront racism amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The video went viral for its stunning imagery, famous faces, and moving message that is both heart-breaking and a celebration. Behind the scenes, the PSA was conceived and produced completely remotely by a fully Asian team, with team members and participants from across Canada. It was featured on CTV’s The Social, eTalk, and CTV News affiliates across Canada, as well as retweeted and supported in Canada and the US by celebrities, politicians, and citizens alike.
At this panel, we will take a deep dive into the creation of this PSA with three of its key players. We will cover:
The inspiration behind this project
The challenges of shooting in a pandemic
Creative decision-making
The idea of what being “Asian” means
And much more!
The session will include a one-hour panel followed by 30 minutes for Q&A.
Melissa Grelo (TV Broadcaster, Co-host The Social on CTV)
Melissa studied Broadcast Journalism at Seneca College and quickly moved up the ranks in television broadcast. She has reported on the biggest news stories in Toronto and the country, but one of her career highlights came in 2010 when she was chosen to co-host CTV’s live Olympic coverage from the Vancouver Winter Games. Her next career highlight came shortly after when she reported from the Academy Awards red carpet in 2012. Melissa pitched an all-female talk show idea to the then-president of Bell Media and a few years later, The Social was born. Over six seasons, Melissa and her co-hosts have interviewed the biggest celebrities, musicians, and news-makers from around the world. In 2016, Melissa was part of launching yet another show on CTV when she joined the new national network flagship morning program, Your Morning. Connect with Melissa on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
Christopher Tse (Social Worker, Poet)
Christopher Tse is an award-winning poet and writer based in Whitehorse, Yukon. He placed second at both the 2011 Poetry Slam World Cup and 2016 Rio International Poetry Slam, and is a former Canadian national slam champion. Christopher has shared the stage with Martin Luther King III, Shane Koyczan, and Mustafa the Poet, and his work has appeared on stages from France to Malaysia. A brown boy with 5th generation immigrant roots on Turtle Island, his writing touches on identity, intimacy, immigration, and basketball. Connect with Christopher on Twitter and Instagram.
Jack Yan Chen (Cinematographer)
Jack Yan Chen is a Chinese born, Canadian Cinematographer who is obsessed with story-driven projects. His work spans many formats including narrative features, commercials, music videos, television, and short films. He is currently an associate member in the Canadian Society of Cinematographers and his most recent music video (Jessie Reyez, “No One’s in the Room”), picked up a Juno win, for Video of the Year. Connect with Jack on Instagram.
Introduction to Intercultural Competency (Students) • November 23, 1pm-3pm
All Algonquin College students are invited to this interactive introduction to intercultural competency! The session will begin with a deep dive into Culture – what is it? How is it shaped? How does it affect how we see and interact with the world around us? We will examine how we constantly assign meaning to common actions based solely on our own experiences and you will have an opportunity to get (un)comfortable with your own “Unconscious Bias” using a real-life case study!
Students who complete the workshop will receive a formal certificate of completion from Local Immigration Partnership – Lanark & Renfrew.
Laura Julien has a background in corporate training and was an employment consultant with Employment Ontario before joining the College in 2019 as a Settlement Coach with the Community Settlement Initiative, an Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada funded project supported by the Local Immigration Partnership in an effort to build capacity in local communities to better serve newcomers to Canada. Laura was certified as an Intercultural Competency Trainer in 2019 with the London Cross Cultural Learner Centre and she provided coaching and training to local employers, service providers, community groups and individuals on Intercultural Competency. Laura resides in Eganville with her family and is an engaged and active community member. Laura is passionate about inclusion and believes strongly understanding oneself is the first step on any journey of inclusion.
Being Asian at Algonquin: An Asian Professionals Networking Event (Employees) • November 23, 3pm-4:30pm
How does diversity in the workplace buttress your professional growth and belonging? Let’s find out on November 23, at “Being Asian at Algonquin.” Join this employee networking event that aims to spark meaningful connections and build professional relationships within the College’s Asian community. Through stories, ideas building, and frank conversations, we are pioneering a network of Asian professionals at Algonquin College.
Please note, this session is for any employee who identifies as Asian (this can include South Asian, East Asian, mixed race, etc.).
Niem Huynh (黄可柔), PhD, PPCC — Inquirer. Life Coach. Risk taker (calculated). Niem is an educator and geographer by training and applies these skills as she supports graduate students in their professional trajectories. Her diverse professional experience spans different positions within the university and non-profit sectors, in Canada and the USA. Niem’s interactions with people fuel her interest in how we navigate life and professional paths. Her curiosity sees her learning to juggle, perfecting the breaststroke and improving her français (while maintaining her Cantonese and English tongues).
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Mark your calendars! On Tuesdays in November, join the entire Algonquin College community for Taking a Stand: Disrupting Anti-Asian Discrimination.
Cindy Tran (Journalist)
Mary Reid (Professor)
This is an advanced training that provides participants with the basic skills to become an active bystander. This training includes short videos, partner sharing, small group activities, templates for challenging discussions, and scenarios and activities for practice. This special offering will focus on microaggressions directed at the Asian community.
Christopher Tse (Social Worker, Poet)
Jack Yan Chen (Cinematographer)
Niem Huynh (黄可柔), PhD, PPCC — Inquirer. Life Coach. Risk taker (calculated). Niem is an educator and geographer by training and applies these skills as she supports graduate students in their professional trajectories. Her diverse professional experience spans different positions within the university and non-profit sectors, in Canada and the USA. Niem’s interactions with people fuel her interest in how we navigate life and professional paths. Her curiosity sees her learning to juggle, perfecting the breaststroke and improving her français (while maintaining her Cantonese and English tongues).