Hate crime stats shine light on a reality many face, said Richmond activist

It is “distressing” to learn the number of police-reported hate crimes increases in Canada by 37 per cent (718 more incidents) in the first year of the pandemic, but those numbers can also bring light to a reality many are facing, said one Richmond activist.

“We appreciate the national institution brings this issue to light by conducting these reports. Now it's imperative to fight against racism and inequality since the situation seems to be extremely dire,” said Ahaly Chin, the founder of Richmond-based Community Mental Wellness Association (CMWA). 

According to the latest report from Statistics Canada, there were 2,699 hate crimes in 2020 nationally, which is a significant increase of 37 per cent compared with 2019. 

Meanwhile in Richmond, the number of hate crimes reported to local RCMP almost doubled with 21 files in 2020 compared to 11 in 2019. There were also more hate incident reports -- not considered a criminal code offences -- in 2020: 13 were reported to the police while there were only nine in 2019. 

"The pandemic combined with a spike in hate crimes targeting Asians made some immigrants, especially seniors with limited English, feel hesitant to go outside alone," said Chin.

"I have heard stories of some people urging their older parents to stay inside or avoid venturing out to areas that aren't predominantly Asian," continued Chin. 

While Chin said there is no place for racism, she believes the reasons behind it can be complex.

"I have noticed that in certain cases, people who committed those hate-motivated crimes are also from the vulnerable community - some of them are homeless who have been grappling with mental health issues for years,” said Chin whose not-for-profit is dedicated to helping immigrants reducing the social stigma associated with mental health.

"Another (contributor to the rise in hate crimes) is the deteriorating relations between Western governments and the government of China. Unfortunately, some people are get confused and vent their anger towards any Asian-looking immigrants," said Chin.

Richmondite Tung Chan, a former Vancouver city councillor, said he wasn't surprised to hear the report's findings. 

"Some people have been struggling with financial difficulties and isolations due to the pandemic. These factors can bring out the worst in some people. They might take their anger out on people who seem less privileged, such as visible minorities," said Chan.  

But while the problems of mental illness, financial insecurity and political tensions are beyond many of us, there are little things we can all do, said Chin. 

"Smiling and being kind towards each other is always a great way to facilitate understanding. 

"My association members and I have purchased groceries and given them out to people in need each month. I always bring homeless people hot meals when I see them. I want to send a message to others: despite the fact that we might look different, we are all Canadians and we deeply love our community just like you do."

But kind gestures are not enough. The government also needs to take some quick actions. 

Chan believes launching free education workshops in all communities to raise awareness of racism could help, for example.

Other numbers in the Statistics Canada report show 2020 had the highest number of police-reported hate crimes since comparable data became available in 2009. The data also shows crimes targeting race or ethnicity almost doubled in 2020 compared to 2019 - from 884 to 1,594, Statistics Canada says.