Anti-South Asian Racism Project

ANTI-SOUTH ASIAN RACISM PROJECT

In recent years, Hamiltonians have witnessed an alarming rise in anti-immigrant and especially anti-South Asian rhetoric in the city and across the country. In response, HCCI launched this project to support and provide resources for communities to challenge these narratives and build collective power.

The project started in early 2025 through collaborative research with students from McMaster University’s Integrated Business and Humanities program, looking at the history of anti-South Asian racism in Hamilton. The project was guided by a recognition that while there is a new cycle occurring, anti-South Asian racism is not new or unique in Canada’s history. We wanted to see how that history had impacted Hamilton specifically and look at the structural conditions that marginalize South Asian communities, with an eye to creating tools for sharing knowledge.

In the context of the 2025 Federal Election campaign, which saw blame being placed on immigrants and South Asians, the students wrote: “The government’s failure to shut down or oppose the rhetoric has ultimately led to the exacerbation of anti-South Asian hate through their use as a red herring of the housing crisis… As the rhetoric becomes less disputed and more widely accepted, blaming South Asians for Canada’s problems becomes more acceptable as a belief, normalizing casual racism and driving hate.”

The result of this first phase was a comparative timeline and literature review based on academic work, archival materials, and local resources to trace the presence of South Asian communities in Hamilton and their experiences with racism (linked below). Throughout the project, we and the students noted many gaps and, importantly, many missing stories about how communities themselves respond.

We are now working on the second phase of this project. With the work done to date, we have created accessible resources drawing on some of the key themes and takeaways. These have been translated and are available for download and in print format through our office.

Anti-South Asian Racism Community Discussion Flyer

COMMUNITY DISCUSSION CIRCLES

We are hosting a series of community discussion circles with residents of Hamilton who are part of one or more South Asian community. “South Asian” is a vast and contested term and there is so much diversity to the identities and experiences from these communities. Our circles are designed to reflect this diversity and make space for unique experiences.

Session Details

Sessions run across spring and summer.
Location will be emailed to registered participants.
Free food and drinks provided.
Grocery gift card for participants.
Materials provided in multiple languages.
The sessions emphasize respect for privacy and the right to share only what you are comfortable with.

If you have any questions, comments or suggests, please feel free to contact HCCI’s Anti-South Asian Racism Project Assistant at thakim@hcci.ca

Join a Discussion Circle

Resources

The Mask of Multiculturalism

Hiding Exclusion

Canada has built an international reputation as a welcoming, multicultural nation. But beneath that image is a history of exclusionary policies and systemic barriers that have affected South Asian communities for over a century. From the Dominion Lands Act to the Anti-Terrorism Act, government legislation has consistently reinforced who belongs and who does not. This resource looks at the gap between Canada’s multicultural promise and the lived experience of South Asian Hamiltonians, and asks what happens when the mask comes off.

The Model Minority

Assimilation and Struggle for Acceptance

The “model minority” stereotype frames South Asians as hardworking, successful, and well-integrated. On the surface, it looks like a compliment. In practice, it sets a bar that defines whose belonging is conditional on economic output, erases the barriers and discrimination that many South Asians face, and is used to divide racialized communities from one another. This resource explores how the myth operates, the pressure it creates within South Asian communities, and why it needs to be challenged.

The Way The Media Spreads Hate

Reducing People with Stereotypes

South Asian communities in Canada are among the most diverse in the world, spanning dozens of nationalities, languages, and faith traditions. Yet Canadian media has consistently reduced this diversity to a narrow set of stereotypes: victims in need of saving, threats to national security, or scapegoats for systemic failures. This resource traces how media portrayals have shifted across decades while remaining rooted in the same patterns of exclusion, and why representation and community-led storytelling matter.

“The Great Replacement”

Social Media and The Rise of The Far Right

In November 2024, white nationalists rallied outside Jackson Square in Hamilton holding a banner calling for mass deportation. Far-right groups have been organizing openly in the city, and anti-immigrant rhetoric has surged across social media. This resource examines how extremist movements, from the KKK rallies on James Street in the 1920s to today’s online hate, have used periods of crisis to target immigrant communities. It explains the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory and how its ideas are spreading into mainstream conversation.

The Mistreatment of South Asian Workers

Discriminated and Taken Advantage of

South Asian workers in Canada, including temporary foreign workers, international students, and asylum seekers, face some of the harshest working and living conditions in the country. A 2023 United Nations report described Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers Program as a breeding ground for modern exploitation. This resource traces how the mistreatment of South Asian labour is not a recent development; it is part of a pattern stretching back to the 19th century, when Indian migrant workers were denied basic rights while being relied on to build the country’s infrastructure.

Research

Literature Review

Understanding Anti-South Asian Racism in Hamilton

A comprehensive literature review exploring the prevalence and factors contributing to hate crimes against South Asians in Hamilton across four decades (1980s to 2020s). Produced by students from McMaster University’s Integrated Business and Humanities program in partnership with HCCI. The review examines historical immigration trends, socioeconomic factors, media representation, political climate, and community resilience.

Authors: Rathoosha Balaranjan, Victoria Balassone, Redon Fazliu, Ariane Persad, Salina Tellis, Natalie Thomas, Htet Yee Mon Win

Format: PDF (English only)

Read the Review

Comparative Timeline

Canadian Geopolitical Events and Their Impact on Hamilton (1880s-2020s)

A detailed timeline comparing national geopolitical events, immigration policies, and socioeconomic shifts with their local impact on South Asian communities in Hamilton. Organized chronologically from Confederation (1867) through to 2024, showing how federal decisions and national trends shaped the lived experience of South Asians in Hamilton.

Authors: Same McMaster student team as above

Format: PDF (English only)

View the Comparative Timeline

Visual Timeline

A Working Timeline of Anti-South Asian Racism in Hamilton and Canada

An infographic summarizing key periods of anti-South Asian racism in Hamilton and Canada, from the 1900s to the present. Covers exclusionary immigration, extremist groups, economic restructuring, post-9/11 impacts, and the current era of immigrant scapegoating. Includes a visual overview of the project’s scope, covering historical, economic, political, and media-related factors.

Format: PDF (English only, infographic/visual format)

View the Visual Timeline