About Us

AHSNB was created in 2002 to support the Government of Canada’s declara- tion of May as Asian Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich culture and contributions of Asian Canadians and to acknowledge them as full partici- pants in Canadian history.

Our mission is to fulfill the federal mandate of Asian Heritage Month in the New Brunswick context through creative storytelling, performance, and pub- lic engagement with the issues surrounding citizenship, identity, and collec- tive history. We also promote Asian Canadian heritage and performing arts through free public events featuring art, dance, music, cuisines, costumes, and any expression of traditional or contemporary Asian culture.

AHSNB is one of 16 Asian Heritage organizations across Canada, and the only such organization in Atlantic Canada. We have active chapters in Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton, and celebrate Asian Heritage Month in Miramichi through a partnership with the Miramichi Regional Multicultural Association.

As an umbrella organization for the Asian Canadian communities of New Brunswick, our members include over a dozen ethnocultural groups and as- sociations in each of our chapters’ cities. In New Brunswick, our primary Asian communities are Bhutanese-Nepali, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Iranian, Iraqi, Japanese, Korean, Lebanese, Nepali, Pakistani, Syrian, and Vietnamese. We welcome new members and volunteers from all backgrounds, and part- nerships with schools and community organisations. If you’d like to get in- volved, get in touch!

What is AHSNB?

The Asian Heritage Society of New Brunswick (AHSNB) is a non-profit organization with members from diverse Asian Canadian communities. The society is comprised of talented and dedicated individuals who help make Asian Heritage

The major objectives of the Asian Heritage Society are as follows:

Promotion of the Federal objectives of Asian Heritage Month in New Brunswick.
Public outreach to build understanding between Canadians and Asian immigrants.
Collaboration with the Municipal Governments in Brunswick, Government of New Brunswick, Department of Education and School Districts to encourage teachers in New Brunswick to engage students with activities that foster understanding of the culture and history of Asian Canadians, and their contributions to the growth and development of Canada.
Provide Asian Canadians with the opportunity to work closely with Post-Secondary Institutions to create a curriculum in Education departments that will train future teachers to reflect Asian Canadian identity.
Create interest in smaller local communities across the Province in organizing AHM celebrations in their own cities and towns.

Who is Asian?

The definition of “Asian” may be inclusive and broad, and applies to people who come from or whose ancestors come from:

East Asia: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan

South Asia: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

Central Asia: Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

Southeast Asia: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

West Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Mission

The Asian Heritage Society of New Brunswick is committed to fostering intercultural exchange and understanding within our communities and provinces as a whole. It is our strong belief that education and cultural interchange are the key to intercultural acceptance, integration and unity.