OTTAWA, May 1, 2008 - The Honourable Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity), today invited Canadians to join in celebrating Asian Heritage Month during the month of May.
"Our country was built by representatives of many cultural communities, and Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to better understand Canada's rich diversity by learning more about the achievements of the Asian-Canadian community," said Secretary of State Kenney. "I invite all citizens to celebrate the contribution of Canadians of Asian origin to building our country."
The Government of Canada officially designated May as Asian Heritage Month in 2001. Five years later, according to the Statistics Canada Census, more than 3 million people self-identified as belonging to an Asian ethnic group.
Numerous organizations throughout Canada have planned a host of activities to celebrate Asian Heritage Month. For more information about these activities, visit the Canadian Heritage website at
www.pch.gc.ca/progs/multi/asian-asiatique/index_e.cfm
