Seen, Heard and Counted: Toronto's South Asian Community Confronts Racism and Geopolitical Anxiety

For Toronto's South Asian community — one of the largest and most vibrant in the country — the headlines this week cut close to home, raising urgent questions about belonging, safety, and solidarity across borders.

📊 By the Numbers: South Asians and the Reality of Racism in Canada

A new insight piece from the Environics Institute for Survey Research, produced in partnership with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, draws on national surveys conducted in 2019, 2021, and 2024 to examine how South Asians experience racism in Canada. People of South Asian descent — from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal — now number 3.2 million and make up eight percent of Canada's national population, making them the largest non-European-origin group in the country. The community is especially prominent in urban centres like Toronto and Vancouver. Despite these contributions, South Asians have long faced racism, from the historic rejection of Sikh migrants aboard the Komagata Maru to a recent documented spike in anti-South Asian hate on social media, including during the most recent federal election. The research provides a comparative look at how South Asian experiences of racism stack up against those of other racialized communities across the country. [3]

😤 Anti-Indian Hate: A Community Reckons with a Rising Tide

Reporting from The Local examines a wave of anti-Indian hate that has left many community members shaken and unsettled. The piece explores how Indian Canadians are processing an increasingly hostile climate, touching on incidents and social dynamics that have made everyday life feel more fraught. It situates this rise in hostility within broader national conversations about race, immigration, and identity. The article underscores that for many in the diaspora, this is not an abstract political issue but a lived, daily reality with real consequences for how people move through public spaces and institutions. [4]

🌏 Diaspora on Edge as India-Pakistan Tensions Escalate

CTV News reports that Canada's South Asian diaspora — including many in the Toronto region — is feeling the strain of mounting tensions between India and Pakistan. Community members with ties to both countries describe a sense of anxiety and division as geopolitical conflict overseas reverberates through local families, friendships, and social networks. The report highlights how diaspora communities are caught between loyalties, grief, and the difficulty of navigating relationships with people on the other side of an international fault line. For a community that often bridges both Indian and Pakistani heritage, the escalating situation carries a particular emotional weight that goes well beyond news headlines. [5]

Sources: [3] Environics Institute for Survey Research · [4] thelocal.to · [5] CTV News