Reflections on Organizing Ottawa’s Vigil for Atlanta Shooting Victims in 2021

Authors

  • Ines Huang
  • Xiaobei Chen Carleton University
  • Jiyoung Lee-An Thompson Rivers University

Abstract

In this article, we share our experiences involved in organizing a vigil for the Atlanta shooting victims in March 2021. We were part of a small voluntary community group that came together and took the name of Asian Canadian Community Group based on our shared desire to take actions against anti-Asian racism and misogyny, especially after witnessing the targeted tragic death of Asian women in Atlanta, the United States, in 2021. The Asian Canadian Community Group is a mix of people, mostly women, who are first- or second-generation Asian immigrants and Canadians. While all members have had extensive engagement with diverse community demographic groups, we have very uneven experiences with grassroots organizing against racism and misogyny, with some being totally new to such grassroots activism and others being veterans bringing to the group rich experiences and deep understanding. Together, we shared a goal to have a collective voice heard and to increase understanding among members from diverse backgrounds on the issue of anti-Asian racism and misogyny.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Ines Huang

Ines Huang is a trilingual professional (English, French and Mandarin) with a Master’s degree in Communication, Politics and Society, and a dual bachelor degree in History and Political Science. She is an avid practitioner of non violent communication and an active community volunteer supporting various causes. A former public servant, Ines currently dedicates her time as a gift planner to serve individuals, families and business owners navigate the Canadian philanthropic landscape and help design charitable gift strategies that enable donors to realize their philanthropic objectives while maximizing tax and other financial benefits.

Xiaobei Chen, Carleton University

Xiaobei Chen is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Carleton University. She served as President of the Canadian Sociological Association (2020-2021). Her research and teaching interests include: sociology of childhood and youth, governance and power, citizenship, racism, colonialism, citizenship, Asian diasporas especially the Chinese diaspora, and Buddhist social thought. Her latest book is a co-edited volume The Sociology of Childhood and Youth in Canada. Her current research and community engagement are focused on anti-Asian racism and Sinophobia.

Jiyoung Lee-An, Thompson Rivers University

Jiyoung Lee-An is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Sociology in the Department of Environment, Culture & Society at Thompson Rivers University. Her teaching and research interests include Critical Race Theory, Marriage Migration, Transnational Feminism, Social Justice, etc. Dr. Lee-An is a co-founder of the Student-Faculty Support Group for Anti-racism at TRU and a co-chair of the TRUFA Equity Committee. She is committed to creating an inclusive and anti-oppressive learning environment for everyone.

Downloads

Published

2025-02-18

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2025): Analyzing and Resisting Anti-Asian Racism

Section

Creative Commentaries

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.