Asian Heritage Month: Honouring Asian communities
Canada designates May as Asian Heritage Month. In 2021, over seven million people in Canada reported having Asian origins, representing 19.3% of Canada’s population. Each May, Canadians are encouraged to learn, honour and celebrate the diverse ways that Asian communities have shaped Canadian history and their continued contributions to society.
Following the theme for 2024, “Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future: Amplifying Asian Canadian Legacy,” Library and Archives Canada welcomes your curiosity and encourages you to delve into the different items, documents and treasures in our collections.
Discover and appreciate stories that speak to the resilience of Asian communities in Canada.
- Blog post: New to Chinese Canadian genealogy: C.I.44 records of registration.
- Blog post: Chinese Canadian genealogy: general registers and C.I.9 certificates.
- Podcast: The hammering of the last spike into the Canadian Pacific Railway expanded access to the nation. While seen as a victory in the dominant narrative of Canada, it also served as a catalyst for the mass displacement of Indigenous peoples and the exploitation, and even death, of countless labourers involved. Notably, of the approximately 15,000 Chinese workers who contributed to the railway’s construction, between 600 and 800 lost their lives in the process. The “Last Spike” episode is part of our Treasures Revealed series. It offers a nuanced understanding of the iconic image that represents the joining of the country from coast to coast.
- Flickr album: Images that tell the complicated story of the hammering of the last spike into the CPR railway and bring aspects of the “Last Spike” episode to life can be found in the Treasures Revealed album.
- Flickr album: Meet some of Canada’s first Chinese settlers in the photo album entitled The Early Chinese Canadians 1858–1947.
- In our collection: Visit our service points to consult the Adrienne L. Clarkson fonds and read the associated blog, A look inside former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson’s archives, to learn more about its contents.
- Genealogy: Use our family history and genealogy tools and guides for Chinese Canadians, Immigrants from China, 1885–1949 and Japanese Canadians to begin research on your Asian roots. Feel free to contact us for help from our experts.
To learn more
Visit the May is Asian Heritage Month web page to discover more resources about Asian communities in Canada and learn about their varied contributions to our country’s history.
Associated links