EMPIRE CLUB OF CANADA
UPCOMING EVENTS

May 17, 2021 | 12 Noon EDT

Confronting Anti-Asian Racism

in Canada

The Honourable Mary Ng, Eileen Park Robertson 

Since the beginning of COVID-19, we have seen a rise in anti-Asian racism in Canada. Recent research from the University of Toronto shows that reports of anti-Asian discriminatory incidents have more than tripled over the last year.

During this Asian Heritage Month, join The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade and Eileen Park, Founder and Filmmaker at Anecdotia Media as they reflect on their own experiences, share their perspectives, and discuss how all Canadians can come together to fight anti-Asian racism.

Panelists

The Honourable Mary Ng

Canada's Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

From promoting Canada to the world as a great place to do business, to helping our entrepreneurs and businesses grow and access new markets – Minister Ng is focused on helping Canadians succeed.

First elected the Member of Parliament for Markham–Thornhill in April 2017, Minister Ng was first appointed to Cabinet in July 2018 as Minister for Small Business and Export Promotion. After being successfully re-elected in October 2019, she became Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade– the first woman of colour to hold that role.

Prior to serving as a Member of Parliament, Minister Ng served as Appointments Director for the Prime Minister, and as Executive Director for the President of Ryerson University where she oversaw the creation of a world-leading business incubator for tech start-ups.

Throughout her 20 years of public service, Minister Ng has been a devoted community leader with a focus on creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship, and empowering small businesses to innovate and grow.

Eileen Park Robertson 

Filmmaker at Anecdotia Media

Eileen Park Robertson is currently founder and filmmaker at Anecdotia Media, a video production agency focused exclusively on racial, social, and climate justice. Most recently, she ran communications at the Office of the Mayor of Portland, after twelve years as an award-winning reporter and TV anchor. 

Less than 48 hours after 8 people were killed in Atlanta, 6 of them Asian women, news of her interracial marriage to the longest serving mayor of Vancouver, BC was published. Eileen, a Korean American living in Vancouver, received a torrent of racist, hate-filled messages. She spoke out, calling out anti-Asian hate, and received support from all over the world after shedding light on the difficult subject of the fetishization and hypersexualization of Asian women and their long unspoken, oppressive history of being objectified and commodified.

As the American daughter of Korean immigrants, experiencing racialized sexism through her 12+ years in news, and most recently in political senior leadership at the Mayor's Office in Portland, she is proud to be an advocate on the frontlines of the Stop Asian Hate movement, fighting for and standing in solidarity with all marginalized communities.

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