Covid-19 is not the cause of anti-Asian racism. For a long time it has existed in BC and Canada.
To understand how Asian people are treated today, we must first understand how they were treated throughout history. Let us also share the stories of how community members have helped each other and organized against racism.
I created this comic to show Asian experiences of racism in BC at three points in history, ranging from 1907 (the Anti-Asian riot in Vancouver Chinatown) to 1946 (when Mount St Joseph Hospital opened, to meet the Chinese community's need for healthcare) to 2021 (the Covid-19 pandemic, and Atlanta shooting targeting Asian women sex workers).
Script and art by Janice Liu
Commissioned by Cloudscape Comics
Based on an interview with Project 1907 and Heritage Vancouver Society