International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Date:
Venue:Fall Room, Events Centre, Progress Campus and Online (Zoom)
March 21 is globally marked as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (IDERD). Serving as an annual reminder for individuals, organizations and governments around the world, IDERD marks the urgent need to unite against all forms of racism and uphold and protect the human rights of all people.
For IDERD 2024, Centennial College will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act (the Act). Passed on July 1, 1923, the Act restricted all Chinese immigration to Canada by narrowly defining the acceptable categories of Chinese immigrants. The Act had severe consequences on Chinese communities already living in the country and perpetuated forms of anti-Asian racism which continue to this day. Alongside Chinese exclusion, the Komagata Maru incident, Japanese internment, temporary foreign worker programs, the rise of anti-Asian xenophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic and current scapegoating of East and South Asian international students all contribute to a larger pattern of long-standing, and ongoing racism in Canada.
To emphasize this critical moment in Canadian history and its contemporary manifestations, all Centennial College community members are invited to gather for a dynamic conversation about anti-Asian and anti-South Asian racism and higher education facilitated by Birju Dattani (Director, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution), Catherine Chen (Director, Equitable Learning, Health and Wellness) and David Ip Yam (Associate Vice President and Dean of Students).
Options for in-person and virtual attendance are available. Refreshments will be served to those attending in person.