Asian Heritage Month: Find out how these Montrealers are making a difference
May is Asian Heritage Month, commemorating the achievements and contributions of people of Asian origin across Canada.
The theme for this year, according to the Government of Canada, is "preserving the past, embracing the future: amplifying Asian Canadian legacy."
"This theme celebrates the rich heritage and contributions of people of Asian origin in Canada while also looking forward to the future with optimism and hopefulness," the government notes. "We are acknowledging the voices, stories, and achievements of people of Asian origin in Canada and recognizing their contributions to all aspects of our society, including the arts, sports and social justice."
Here are some Montrealers making waves in the Asian community, as well as Canadian society at large:
Celeste Trianon
A child of Chinese immigrant parents, Celeste has faced numerous struggles in her life, including being diagnosed with autism and gender dysphoria.
Celeste turned her personal challenges into social activism, fighting for gender equality.
She says she wants to bring a person of colour's perspective to the gender debate, as transness isn't determined by race.
As a law student, Celeste works to tear down the barriers trans people face every day, including allowing people to mark gender X on their official documents and helping people who've been victimized by hate crimes or discrimination.
As a proud transfeminine activist and member of the Chinese community, Celeste stands tall in the fight for trans rights and the celebration of queerness in all its forms.
Kim Thúy
Kim Thúy's books have been translated and published in 29 languages in 40 countries.
She is best known as an author and TV host, but she's also been a seamstress, a translator, a lawyer and a restaurant owner.
As a child, Kim came to Quebec in the 1970s in the wave of Vietnamese people referred to as the "boat people" fleeing the fall of Saigon.
She's now a decorated Québécoise with a medal of honour from the National Assembly and recognition from the National Order of Quebec.
Kim writes about the things she knows and finds beauty and joy in the simple things in life: friends, family, food and art.
Pauline Wong
Pauline Wong is a successful businesswoman, philanthropist and activist for the Chinese community.
Her family founded Wong Wing in 1948, a brand recognized across Canada.
As a dedicated activist for the preservation of Chinatown, she has helped countless families and new immigrants through her involvement in the Chinese family services of Greater Montreal and the Centre Sino-Québec de la Rive-Sud.
Pauline and her late husband, George, are noted philanthropists who have supported numerous causes for the Chinese community, the Montreal Chinese Hospital, Father John Walsh, Nazareth Community and Saint Monica's Parish.
Pauline is a member of the Order of Montreal and the Order of Quebec.
Julie Tamiko Manning
Julie Tamiko Manning is a talented, award-winning Japanese-Canadian actor, playwright, theatre creator and mentor.
Julie has paved the way for racialized theatre artists and spoken up about the need for more diverse stories to be produced on Montreal stages.
She also developed a powerful verbatim play with Matt Miwa called The Tashme Project: The Living Archives, telling the story of the unfair internment of Japanese Canadians during World War Two.
The Tashme Project won a Montreal English Theatre Award (META) for best new text.
Antonio Park
Antonio Park co-owns Park restaurant in Westmount, serving Japanese food and sushi.
There's a glamour to how Antonio brings people together, according to his closest friends.
The chef also boasts connections with rapper Drake from Toronto and former Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban.
Antonio works to elevate and raise the Asian community to a different level, one dish at a time.
May Chiu
May Chiu has been an inspiration to many in the fight for social justice.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Trois-Rivières, Que. as a first-generation immigrant, May has always been passionate about social change, whether it be as a lifetime community activist for Montreal's Chinese community or as a low-income family lawyer fighting for access to justice.
For over three decades, May has been a pioneer in building anti-racism coalitions among racialized and marginalized communities in Quebec, all struggling against the same systems of oppression.
May's motto in life: speak truth to power and live authentically.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'The root cause': Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Prosecution rests in Donald Trump’s hush money case. The defence now gets its turn to call witnesses
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
'Next man up': Canucks coach, teammates bracing for Game 7 without Brock Boeser
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.