The municipal government is reiterating Vancouver is no place for racism in a press release issued after American news network Bloomberg called the city the 'Anti-Asian Hate Crime Capital of North America.'
The statement, issued Tuesday afternoon, also follows rising levels of anti-Asian racism reported by community members and the Vancouver Police Department. The city states it's "deeply saddened and angered" by the number of hate crimes and notes racism, against Asian, Black and Indigenous members of the community are "deeply rooted in the history of Vancouver and other communities across Canada."
"We understand that current systems were built and grew from historic foundations of anti-Indigenous, anti-Black and anti-Asian discrimination. We know that stereotypes, bias, and prejudice lead to violent incidents that affect our whole community. We must name and address these incidents and their impact in order to reduce further violence and harm," reads the statement.
It says it's focused on hosting conversations with community leaders and committees.
"These discussions will clarify priorities for the City in moving forward with action and we invite partners to engage with us in addressing racism in our city," states the city.
The statement only briefly touches on the report from Bloomberg, noting the statement is a response to the story.
