April 14, 2021

Community Conquers Fear: #StopAsianHate

We stand in solidarity with the Asian Canadian community in our movement to denounce and combat racism, we also are supporting Stop Asian Hate.

As a marketing agency, we understand that posting to social media is not enough. A movement is continual—it never stops. We must continue to stand up for community and compassion, call out racism, and educate others on what they can do to support our Asian community.

So, what can you do? Here are a few actionable ways that you can help right now:

Learn about what you can do as a bystander if you witness a hate crime or racially-driven harassment
Reflect on any unconscious biases you might have and call out any microaggressions that stereotype the Asian community
Support local Asian-owned businesses to keep the Edmonton community thriving
Support Canadian organizations that are actively fighting anti-Asian hate and racism

#1: HOLLABACK!’S 5 D’S OF BYSTANDER INTERVENTION

If you witness a hate crime or racially-driven harassment, it’s common to feel powerless, unknowledgeable, unsafe, or perhaps that you don’t want to worsen the situation.

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee recently attended a Hollaback! workshop about the 5 D’s of bystander intervention. Consider the following tactics you can use as a bystander, but remember: your safety comes first.

DISTRACT

Take an indirect approach to de-escalate the situation.

Confronting the harasser head-on can be intimidating, but you can draw attention away by initiating small talk with the person being harassed, or by making a loud noise.

DELEGATE

Get help from someone else.

Depending on the setting, ask someone with authority, such as a store manager, flight attendant, or bus driver, to help de-escalate the situation while you check on the person being harassed.

DELAY

After the incident is over, check in with the person who was harassed.

Ask if they are okay, and if there is any more you can do to support them.

DIRECT

Assess your safety first. Speak up about the harassment. Be firm and clear.

Tell the harasser to stop. You can also use the Distract tactic to ask the person being harassed, “Are you okay? Should I get help?”.

DOCUMENT

It can be helpful for the victim to have a video of the incident. Laws about recording in public vary, so check local legislation first.

Maintain a safe distance and try to capture as much of the incident as possible, including details of the location (landmarks, street signs, etc.). State clearly and plainly in the recording where you are, what day/time it is, and what is happening.

It can be very tempting to post your video on social media in an attempt to shame the harasser, but keep in mind that it’s not about you. Recordings should be used to support the person being harassed, not for your personal glory.

Source: Bystander Intervention Resources, Hollaback!

#2: STOP STEREOTYPING

Racism doesn’t always manifest itself as hate crimes. For example, microaggressions such as asking, “Where are you really from?”, instil the idea that Asian people are perpetual foreigners based on their skin colour—that they don’t belong, or that they are not truly Canadian.

Stereotyping Asian people based on what they eat, how they speak, or scapegoating the entire community for the pandemic is harmful.

Off-colour remarks may seem innocent at first, but they chip away at the mental health of the Asian community and impact their sense of belonging.

#3: SUPPORT STOP ASIAN HATE & ASIAN-OWNED LOCAL BUSINESSES

Local restaurants and shops are suffering due to the pandemic. Plus, biases and prejudices have only exacerbated the struggle for Asian-owned businesses.

Keep supporting our local economy and Asian community. Here are some of our favourites:

#4: SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS LEADING THE STOP ASIAN HATE MOVEMENT

Looking to take action against anti-Asian hate? We’ve listed some nonprofits and organizations that are creating change in Canada.

Be sure to explore their educational resources and donate to causes that resonate with you:

#StopAsianHateAlberta: Local movement spearheaded by food influencer Linda Hoang to support the Asian community in Alberta
Act2EndRacism: Free membership grants access to their online community and shareable anti-racism strategies
Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice: Leaders of the #FaceRace campaign with insightful videos, posters, and conversational guides
Elimin8hate: Volunteer-run nonprofit where you can report racist incidents and hate crimes against Asian community members

Our learning never stops. Let’s take a proactive approach to building an inclusive and equitable community. Share your thoughts with Top Draw on Stop Asian Hate.