Navigating Discrimination Through Empathy: The Situational Torment of Asian-Canadian Youth

Lirish Sampath; Gunrattan Singh; Yoshita Sahdev; Dihyah Khan; Zakeera Zaidi

doi:10.25071/1929-8471.173

Authors

Lirish Sampath Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa
Gunrattan Singh Department of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
Yoshita Sahdev Department of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, York University
Dihyah Khan Department of Political Science and Public Law, University of Toronto
Zakeera Zaidi Faculty of Health, York University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25071/1929-8471.173

Abstract

Team Ice, a group of university students primarily of South Asian heritage, came together with a shared desire to explore and express the complexities of cultural identity through the Reader’s Theatre (RT) process, a research project as part of a broader study seeking to better comprehend discrimination within different ethno-cultural contexts. The topic of our RT script, Together Through the Struggle, centers on the mental health challenges faced by Asian-Canadian youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our group was drawn to this theme after reflecting on the significant emotional, psychological, and cultural stressors encountered by marginalized communities throughout the pandemic. We observed how many Asian-Canadian youth (particularly those from immigrant or culturally diverse families) grappled with heightened social isolation, anxiety, and cultural dissonance due to the pandemic lockdowns, remote learning, and disrupted social environments.

Key words: Readers Theatre, youth, identity, arts-based research, mental health, COVID-19 pandemic.