Celebrating Asian Heritage Month 2023

The Merivale Vision Care family strongly believes in equity for everyone, and we love learning how people from all walks of life celebrate their culture. Asian Heritage Month is all May long, and to celebrate we would like to shine the light on important and informative resources and businesses from the Asian community. Asian Heritage Month creates an opportunity for us to learn more about the history of Asian communities in Canada and to acknowledge their contributions and achievements that helped to shape the Canada we know today.

The theme for Asian Heritage Month 2023 is “Stories of Determination,” which represents the strides made and the challenges overcome by Asian communities to thrive in Canada, During May, and every month, we should all come together to combat anti-Asian racism and discrimination in all its forms.

The Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice stands behind equity, fair treatment for all, and a world where no one should fear experiencing violence in everyday life. The original Chinese Canadian National Council was founded in 1980, after successful nation-wide protests against a TV show that falsely depicted Chinese Canadian students in universities as foreigners. Four decades later still lives a group committed to community activism to fight for equality and human rights. The Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice’s main project is Empowering, Engaging, and Equipping Canadians to Combat Anti-Asian Racism through Online Resources and Social Media. You can visit the Council’s website for great resources to learn about how to advocate for equity and justice for everyone in Canada. Why not make May the month you support local Asian-owned businesses in Ottawa?

There are so many restaurants, bakeries, shops, and galleries to visit right here in our community. Two of our favourite Asian-owned businesses include DAO Café and Moo Shu Ice Cream & Kitchen for desserts and cold treats. We also love Sushi Sama for fresh hand rolls and sashimi, and Sea King Seafood Restaurant for delicious traditional Chinese dishes served family style. Visit the multitude of amazing shops and restaurants in Ottawa’s Chinatown for more amazing experiences and continue celebrating Asian culture into June by attending Ottawa Asian Fest June 2nd-4th at Tanger Outlets where admission is free, and you can immerse yourself in the wonders of Asian culture. We hope that you will check out these amazing business, resources, and events. We will be! We are all our best when we include, celebrate, honour, and elevate the rich diversity in our community.