A time to uplift the presence and contributions of people of Asian descent, and to remember to honour Asian voices throughout the year
Today marks the first day of May, when we celebrate Asian Heritage Month. It is a time for people of all backgrounds to continue to honour the breadth and diversities of Asian-descendant communities in Canada—including peoples and communities that are part of The United Church of Canada.
In the month of May—and throughout the year—people of the United Church are invited to uplift the particular presence and contributions of people of Asian descent. Communities of faith may consider engaging with cultural dances and music, exploring diverse Asian foods, and drawing on liturgical prayers and worship services from different parts of Asia during this month. Asian Heritage Month worship resources are available on the United Church website.
More substantially, communities of faith are invited to reflect and challenge anti-Asian racism wherever it is found. One way to do so is listening to a variety of Asian voices and responding to anti-Asian racism with faithful actions. Below are several recent videos—originally from the 40 Days of Engagement on Anti-Racism—featuring diverse people of Asian descent who are part of the United Church:
- YongSeok Baek: Accent Is Not a Wall—It’s a Home
- Damber Khadka: Racism is a Spiritual Issue
- HyeRan Kim-Cragg: Subtle and Not-So-Subtle Anti-Asian Racism
- Chris Mah Poy: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay on Canada Day
- Dorcus Annika Yohan: An Invisible Load hat Lived Inside Me
- Sophia Chuan: Who I Am
Communities of faith may consider showing some of these videos during worship, including them in a newsletter, or including the prayers in the liturgy.
Some of the Asian communities in the United Church, however, are marking Asian Heritage Month differently this year. The leaders of the Asian ethnocultural networks in the United Church decided not to produce brand-new church resources for the wider church for Asian Heritage Month in 2026, but instead to focus on honouring different months within their own respective ethnocultural communities throughout the year. This includes Chinese Heritage Month (February), Filipino Heritage Month (June), and Korean Heritage Month (October).
Asian leaders have also noted that despite the specially designated month, they don’t necessarily need the occasion to remind them of their heritage. For example, people of Chinese descent celebrate and honour different Chinese-centred events throughout the year. Similarly, there are different Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Thai, and diverse Asian-descent ethnocultural groups and communities who additionally have their own cultural celebrations.
Leaders of the Asian ethnocultural networks encourage predominantly White United Church communities of faith to not simply engage with superficial or performative practices regarding Asian heritage, but to consider how to learn about anti-Asian racism and challenge it. They should also reflect on how “Asian identity” is not homogeneous; there is a multiplicity of ethnocultural groups and languages that represent the diverse continent of Asia. Finally, people of the United Church are invited to honour Asian Heritage Month in May, and also to consider ways of honouring diverse Asian voices throughout the year.