SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Asian Heritage Month

Honourable senators, even though we are at the end of May, along with my colleague Senator Martin, I also rise today to wish you all a happy Asian Heritage Month.

At the start of the month, the Filipino-Canadian community was grieving, and I want to take a moment to honour those who were injured and those who lost their lives in the Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy in Vancouver on April 26.

As you heard from Senator Martin, this year’s Asian Heritage Month theme is “Unity in Diversity: The Impact of Asian Communities in Shaping Canadian Identity.” Unity in diversity reminds us that we can be diverse without being divided and we can be united without being uniform. The theme is a celebration of our shared values and varied stories.

In my home province of Manitoba, these stories surround us. The stories are found in the Chinese families who settled in Winnipeg as early as the 1870s, building businesses and creating community.

They are found in my East Indian father and my Filipino mother, both of whom came separately to Canada as part of the early waves of Asian health care professionals recruited to work in our health care system.

This year also marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War — a time to remember how conflict can change lives around the world.

It is a time to remember when Canada opened its arms to more than 210,000 refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos who fled war and sought safety and a fresh start. Many arrived with nothing, but they brought resilience, strength and dreams. They became our neighbours, our teachers, our doctors and our friends.

Each wave of migration has contributed something essential to Canada — to our economy, our culture and our spirit. These are stories of resilience, healing, hope and contribution — stories of rebuilding and giving back.

As a senator of Asian heritage, I reflect on how we carry this work forward, not only in our communities but also through our work here in the Senate. Through parliamentary associations and friendship groups, we can build relationships with our counterparts in Asia and deepen ties between nations.

As this month draws to a close, I encourage us all to learn from and celebrate the diverse communities around us. In that spirit, I invite everyone to join the Canada-Philippines friendship group on June 12 at 12 p.m. for a special flag-raising ceremony on Parliament Hill in honour of Filipino Heritage Month. I hope to see you there.

Thank you. Meegwetch.