Volume XXXIX No. 3 March 2021 Montreal, QC www.filipinostar.org Anti-Asian violence is on the rise in the U.S. and Canada Dawn Cheung and Victoria Do clap and cheer at a March 13 protest against anti- Demonstrators march through the Chinatown-International District during a Asian hate crimes in Seattle's Hing Hay Park. LINDSEY WASSON/REUTERS "We Are Not Silent" rally and march against anti-Asian hate and bias on March 13, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. Following recent attacks on Asian Americans PUBLISHED MARCH 17, 2021 dead – six of them of East Asian descent and Pacific Islanders in Seattle and across the U.S., rally organizers planned (The Globe & Mail) The pandemic has – the past year had already been a several days of actions in the Seattle area. David Ryder–Getty Images been a dangerous time for people of dangerous one for Asian-Americans. way their rhetoric about the “Wuhan A white suspect was arrested East Asian descent in North America, Incidents of hate, from street harassment virus” has made matters worse. Here’s a Tuesday after three spas, two in Atlanta and this week’s deadly shootings in to vandalism, have measurably primer on the situation so far, and how and one in nearby Cherokee County, Georgia has raised concerns even more increased since the pandemic began. Canada has not been immune. Before Tuesday’s shootings in Political leaders, past and present, are See Page 4 Anti-Asian violence The shootings in Atlanta: What the Atlanta area that left eight people coming under greater scrutiny for the we know so far Canada studying reports from EuOTTArWAo-- pQuebeec Healtoh n AstraZeneca vsaaying ict firmlycbelieivesnthe evaccine is Minister Christian Dube rolled up his safe and effective but is doing a more sleeve for the Oxford-AstraZeneca detailed study looking at blood clots in COVID-19 vaccine Thursday, a display of the brain. confidence in the injection that has Health Canada, which had recently been the focus of concerns over officials at the European meeting blood clots. Thursday morning, has not yet reacted to His public vaccination in the decision, or said if it intends to add a Montreal came hours after the European warning label here. Medicines Agency declared a review The first known report of a found no evidence the AstraZeneca shot similar blood clot in Canada came raises the overall risk of blood clots. Thursday, after a 79-year-old man in "This is a safe and effective Quebec was admitted to hospital vaccine," said Emer Cooke, executive suffering from cerebral venous director of the European Medicines thrombosis, a blood clot in the vein that Agency. drains blood from the brain. "Its benefits in protecting people The patient received the from COVID-19, with the associated risks AstraZeneca vaccine several days earlier. of death and hospitalization outweigh the rare blood clots in the brains of 18 are indeed caused by the vaccine or Dube said authorities are possible risks. The committee also patients who received it. Another seven not," said Dr. Sabine Straus, chair of the looking into the case but there is no link concluded that the vaccine is not patients who developed a rare condition agency's Pharmacovigilance and Risk at this time between the condition and associated with an increase in the overall that includes very low platelet counts Assessment Committee. getting the vaccine. risk of thromboembolic events or blood and multiple small blood clots in veins She noted the cases were found Earlier this week, Dr. Marc clots." throughout their body are also in nearly 20 million vaccinations given in Berthiaume, the director of the medical However, Europe is adding a inconclusive, the agency said. the United Kingdom, Europe and India. sciences bureau at Health Canada, said warning label to the vaccine because "The evidence we have is, at the The U.K. Medicines and the department had two reports of blood there isn't any evidence yet to determine moment, not sufficient to conclude with Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency if it played any role in the development of certainty whether these adverse events issued similar news earlier Thursday, See Page 13 Astra-Zeneca www.filipinostar.org 2 March 2021 The North American Filipino Star Operasyon sa COVID-19 na Lahat tayo ay nais pagbabakuna malaman ang higit pa tungkol sa COVID-19 na pagbabakuna BAKIT DAPAT AKONG MAGPABAKUNA? Pumoprotekta ito laban sa COVID-19 at tutulong sa iyo na makaiwas sa pagkakasakit. Kahit na maraming tao ang gumagaling nang hindi ginagamot, ang ilan ay maaaring mamatay dahil sa COVID-19 o makaranas ng mga problema sa puso o baga tulad ng pneumonia. Maaari ring maapektuhan ang nervous system. Ituloy natin ang pagprotekta sa ating mga sarili! Sa pagdating ng mga buwan, hangga’t hindi pa nababakunahan ang karamihan ng populasyon, mananatili ang COVID-19. 2 Metro Manatiling Takpan ang Umubo sa Hugasan ang nakadistansya iyong mukha iyong siko iyong mga kamay A F 1 3 - 9 7 2 Québec.ca/vaccinCOVID - 0 2 1 877 644-4545 March 2021 The North American Filipino Star 3 From the Publisher’s desk 40 COMMUNITY GROUPS JOIN COUNCILLOR MARVIN ROTRAND TO CALL ON THE Unprovoked attacks MONTREAL POLICE SERVICE TO SET UP against Asians on the ADEQUATELY STAFFED HATE CRIME UNIT rise related to the For Immediate Release “The establishment of a Montreal, March 18, 2021 - One specialized Hate Crime Unit at the SPVM Covid 19 pandemic year after the WHO officially declared is essential to addressing the gaps in COVID-19 a global pandemic, victim protection and support, and in Zenaida Ferry Kharroubi organizations representing communities terms of outreach and prevention,” most affected by hate crimes, alongside explains Councillor Rotrand. “Last June, CRARR, are urging on members of City Council vowed to protect Asian Whenever we hear news reports resources required to help in the fight Montreal City Council to vote in favour of Montrealers against hate and of someone being hurt, killed, or against hate crimes of all kinds, not only Councillor Marvin Rotrand’s motion, discrimination, and now it’s time to make victimized, we feel outrage, fear, and those directed towards Asian Canadians which calls on the SPVM to create a good on that promise” he added. sadness. The recent rampage of a but also towards other ethnic groups. specialized and adequately staffed Hate The current SPVM unit shooter in Atlanta has brought more It has been reported that many Crime Unit. dedicated to hate crimes and hate acts is attention to an ongoing problem of hate victims of hate crimes hesitate to At a press conference held composed of only four officers-- two crimes against Asians that appear to complain about being attacked often today, diverse groups that included B’nai investigators and two consulting officers. have been increasing due to the Covid times by verbal insults in public because Brith, the Canadian Council of Muslim “The lack of police officers who 19 pandemic, Many observers believe they feel that nothing can be done about Women, the Centre communautaire come from racial, religious and sexual that Donald Trump contributed to the it. But due to the increasing numbers of LGBTQ+, Concordia Student Union, minorities and Indigenous people to anti-Asian sentiment when he had this type of crime, we have reached the Federation of Filipino Canadian reach out to these groups can prevent referred to Covid 19 as the Wuhan or point that we should no longer ignore Associations of Quebec and the West victims, especially seniors and women, China virus. Hence, some people the problem. If we are a victim or if we Island Black Community Association, from coming forward,” said CRARR presume that anyone with similar witness someone else being attacked, joined in the call for a more effective Executive Director Fo Niemi.” features of a Chinese person is to be we should safely do what we can and Unit. Further, cities like New York blamed and attacked. report it to the authorities. A collective In cooperation with CRARR, have responded to the rise in Anti-Asian Anti-Asian hate crime is not just effort by all concerned citizens, the Councillor Rotrand introduced the hate crime by establishing a twenty-five an American problem, but also found in public in general, and the government motion on March 5, 2021. Seconded by member hate crime unit specifically to our country. Research shows that there leaders and agencies in particular, must Mayor of the Anjou Borough, Luis respond to the disproportionate rise in has been a significant increase of hate develop the strategies to educate people Miranda,Anjou Councillor Andree hate crime against individuals of Asian crimes against Asian-Canadians since about the nature of these crimes, and to Henault and Riviere des Prairies origins. Officers of this task force speak the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with adopt appropriate measures to Councillor Giovanni Rapana the motion multiple languages and dialects, major cities seeing crime rates that are discourage prospective criminals from calls on the SPVM to “establish a including, Cantonese, Mandarin, six and seven hundred percent higher committing them. specialized and adequately staffed Hate Korean, Fukienese, and Tagalog. than the previous year. Some people There are many challenges we Crime Unit, with enhanced training for “We also have to face, among believe that the statistics do not currently face, not only due to Covid 19 officers on properly identifying, other things, the trend towards more represent an accurate picture of the but also due to the different types of recording and investigating hate crimes violent hate acts directed to Asians, problem as not all cases are reported, or conflicts that exist, be it political, social, in order to respond to the needs of Arabs and Black Montrealers, as if they are, the authorities do not seem to or economic.