The last few weeks have been very heavy on my heart. The murder of 6 Asian women and the rise in violence against Asians have made me feel very powerless. Whenever I feel powerless about injustices, I remind myself of the power I have as an educator in shaping the the minds of youth. For this reason, I put together this article to help French teachers address this rise in anti-asian racism.
Why should we teach about anti-asian racism in French class?
First, these tragedies cannot be ignored in the classroom. In fact, the rise of violence against Asians must be addressed in schools.
Secondly, if you teach Asian students, this is an incredibly frightening and stressful situation for them. As a matter of fact, some of them may have already experienced racism.
On the other hand, others may already know stories where their loved ones faced violence. It is our job as teachers to not only comfort our students, but also to do them justice by ensuring that their peers know what they are experiencing.
Finally, if you teach white students, you have the incredibly important task of opening their eyes and hearts to a topic they may have no knowledge of.
Which age groups should learn about anti-asian racism?
There is no age too young to discuss racism. Here is an article discussing age appropriate ways to talk to your children/student about racism.
Free resource for middle/high school French teachers
I have created a free resource for teachers to address this topic in their classroom. This is not a “one size fits all” resource. Please use this blog post to find supplementary resources that fit your own needs.
As a matter of fact, my resource is ideal for Canadian students and classrooms. However, I have included links to global resources in this blog post.
Videos about anti-Asian racism
Anti-Asian violence in Vancouver
When acts of violence against minorities occur, Canadians can be quick to state “Oh, but we’re not that bad. Racism isn’t as bad here”. I am especially calling out white people for being so quick to make comments like these.
These kinds of comments gaslight and silence the lived experiences of visible minorities in Canada.
For this reason, if you are Canadian, I encourage you to analyze this video with your students. This video analyzes racism experienced by Asians in Vancouver and how the Covid pandemic has impacted Asians living in the city.
Anti-Asian hate in France
Anti-Asian hate in Québec
Ils témoignent du racisme anti-asiatique en France (Brut)
This is a short video on being Asian in France. At the time of writing this article, I was not at all surprised, but still disheartened to see the racist comments in response to the video.
These comments can be studied in class in order to have a better understanding of why they are inappropriate.
Podcasts
Asiattitude
If you teach French Immersion Secondary students, it may be worthwhile to explore this topic deeper. Asiattitude is a podcast focusing on the lived experiences of Asians in France.
Reading material on anti-Asian racism
TC2 – Vie quotidienne des Canadiens d’origine chinoise sur le chemin de fer
If you teach Social Studies, you may be interested in exploring the contributions of Asian Canadians in the CPR construction and the racism they faced. It also includes primary sources.
Do you know any resources that teachers can use?
To conclude, I hope that you found these resources to be helpful. If you come across resources not shared in this article, please feel free to share with us in the comments below.
If you are looking for more diverse content for French classes, I have entire blog posts dedicated to representation and anti-racism in the French classroom.
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