Ottawa, May 2, 2012 — The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, issued the following statement to mark the start of Asian Heritage Month:
Once again, I am pleased to launch Asian Heritage Month. Each May we recognize the valuable contributions of Canadians of Asian descent in the development of Canadian history, identity, and society. Canadians of Asian descent will continue to shape our national story.
This year, the theme of Asian Heritage Month is “Advancing Democracy, Strengthening Canada.” We will mark two special milestones: the 10th anniversary of Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and the 65th anniversary of the repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act which led to Canadians of Chinese descent receiving the right to vote in Canada. To mark these two milestones, I am proud to unveil an exhibit developed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) featuring the contributions of twenty Canadians of Asian descent to Canada. The exhibit will travel across the country during Asian Heritage Month and community groups will have the opportunity to showcase it throughout the year. An online version is also available on the CIC Website.
A 30-second promotional video to raise awareness of Asian Heritage Month was also created and may be found on the CIC Youtube Channel.
In the month ahead, there will be numerous events taking place across the country to celebrate Asian Heritage Month and I invite all Canadians to participate in them.
For more information on Asian Heritage Month, please visit the CIC website or use #AHM to partake in the dialogue on Twitter.
A Photo of Minister Kenney will be available later today.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Ana Curic
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
