Asian Heritage Month provides us all with an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Asian Canadians to the growth and prosperity of our country.
This year marks 20 years since the Government of Canada signed an official declaration to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.
This declaration was made after the Senate of Canada adopted a motion tabled by the Honourable Dr. Vivienne Poy, the first Canadian Senator of Asian descent, to designate May as Asian Heritage Month.
In 2001, May was also declared South Asian Heritage Month in Ontario, further recognizing the value of the Asian diaspora to our society.
Almost half of the immigrant population in Canada was born in Asia. In 2016, just over 48 percent of all immigrants were born in Asia, and it has remained the top continent for immigrants in recent years. From 2017 to 2019, 63.5 percent of newcomers to Canada were born in Asia.