This year, TDSB celebrates Asian Heritage Month in May with the theme: “Let us surprise you. Learn who we are.”

More than 40% of TDSB students identify as Asian and heritage months are a valuable opportunity to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Asian Canadians and recognize the narratives and wisdom of various Asian cultures.

Asia is a land of great political, economic, social, ethnic, cultural and religious diversity; this diversity creates challenges when we attempt to define Asia in geographic and political terms. The inclusive and broad definition of Asian used by the TDSB Asian Heritage Month committee includes, but is not limited to, all people whose ancestors came from:

• East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan);
• South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan);
• Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines); and
• Central Asia (Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)

To celebrate the month, students in Grades 2-12 were invited to participate in a photography exhibition and poster competition to bring this year’s theme to life. The winning poster will be shared with all schools and the photography exhibit will be on display at 5050 Yonge Street until the end of May.