Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion

This is the third in a 5-post series we have created looking at different aspects of anti-South Asian Racism in Hamilton and Canada. In this post, we look at how Canada has long mistreated South Asian and other immigrant labour for its own benefit. We connect it to today’s working conditions including the mistreatment and scapegoating of temporary foreign workers and international students.

We’ll be posting the full pdf versions of these slides on our website along with translations in Punjabi, Gujurati, Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. We also have print versions available for pickup.

Get in touch to learn more about the project and how you can get involved, or join one of our upcoming discussion circles for members of South Asian communities in Hamilton.

Thanks to the Hamilton Community Foundation and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation for funding this project. Thanks also to for graphic design and the Translation Agency of Canada for translations.

For the last few months HCCI has been hosting a unique program called Between Friends - Black, Indigenous, and Racialized Q***r Youth Circle.

We are returning on Tuesday June 23, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, the event will be hosted at the HCCI office at 423 King Street East.

Facilitated by artist and movement educator Clairandean Humphrey, this drop-in youth circle aims to build community and promote mental health and wellness among Black, Indigenous, and Racialized Q***r youth between the ages of 14 to 25 years old. Clairandean will guide participants through mindfulness, arts, and movement activities and discussions.

Food and bus tickets will be provided.

No registration required.

For inquiries please contact [email protected] or send us a direct message on Instagram.

This program is made possible by the Green Shield Community Fund and the Arcelor Dofasco Community Fund.

Highlights from , our community comes together beautifully! Thank you to our community partners !

This is the second in a 5-post series we have created looking at different aspects of anti-South Asian Racism in Hamilton and Canada. This time we are looking at something that can be very personal, but has a big impact on how narratives about South Asian and other immigrant communities are created: The Model Minority.

Quotes in this post provided by Project Assistant Talat Hakim.

As we go through the series, we’ll be posting the full pdf versions of these slides on our website along with translations in Punjabi, Gujurati, Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. We also have print versions available for pickup.

Get in touch to learn more about the project and how you can get involved, or join one of our upcoming discussion circles for members of South Asian communities in Hamilton.

Thanks to the Hamilton Community Foundation and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation for funding this project. Thanks also to for graphic design and the Translation Agency of Canada for translations.

Registration for our Civic Leadership Program is now open! This program offers engaging sessions designed to help young organizers (ages 17-25 years old who live in Hamilton and the surrounding area) to develop a critical understanding of democracy, civic engagement, and civic inclusion. Participants will learn about community organizing and different perspectives on what leadership looks like that can help develop skills for engaging community and growing grassroots movements. The program takes participants through 10 weekly workshop sessions, facilitated by experienced organizers and community leaders.

Today we would like to highlight one of our workshop facilitators, Alex Balch, who is a Hamilton-based community organizer, filmmaker and media activist with a keen interest in digital communication platforms and movement security.

Registration is open until June 17, 2026. You can sign up using the link in our bio. Please share widely!

This is the first in a 5-post series we have created looking at different aspects of anti-South Asian Racism in Hamilton and Canada. We’re starting with looking at Canada’s history of exclusion in immigration policy, despite the official narratives about multiculturalism. What is the story behind the mask?

As we go through the series, we’ll be posting the full pdf versions of these slides on our website along with translations in Punjabi, Gujurati, Bangla, Hindi, and Urdu. We also have print versions available for pickup.

Get in touch to learn more about the project and how you can get involved, or join one of our upcoming discussion circles for members of South Asian communities in Hamilton.

Thanks to the Hamilton Community Foundation and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation for funding this project. Thanks also to for graphic design and the Translation Agency of Canada for translations.

Registration for the Civic Leadership Program is now open!
This program offers engaging sessions designed to help young organizers (ages 17-25 years old who live in Hamilton and the surrounding area) to develop a critical understanding of democracy, civic engagement, and civic inclusion. Participants will learn about community organizing and different perspectives on what leadership looks like that can help develop skills for engaging community and growing grassroots movements. The program takes participants through 10 weekly workshop sessions, facilitated by experienced organizers and community leaders, presenting on effective organizing in community, schools, and unions, as well as discussing local advocacy, international solidarity, and much more.

Registration closes on June 17, 2026. Please find the registration link in our bio.

This program will run weekly from June 24 to August 26, 2026 on Wednesday evenings. All sessions run from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM in person at the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (423 King St E, Hamilton ON).

For more information visit https://hcci.ca/civicleadership/
Contact us at [email protected] OR 905-297-4694

Registration link: https://forms.gle/RdBcZPenHP3C8Din8

In 2025 we started work on a project looking at histories of anti-South Asian racism in Hamilton as we see an alarming rise in this rhetoric. We are now extending the project to share learning and hear from local experience.

Stay tuned for our series looking at different ways anti-South Asian racism shows up. If you would like to join in on our conversation, scan the QR code or access the link in our bio to sign up.

We are grateful for funding from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and the Hamilton Community Foundation to support this phase.

Registration link: https://forms.gle/QZKPXnZT5rP5CkNV8

The Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion expresses our condolences as we mourn this tragic loss of life. We also would like to share this statement from our partners at .tmh:
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

Our hearts are with the family, loved ones, and all those impacted by the tragic loss of a young life Nanil in our community. We stand in grief, in solidarity, and in commitment to supporting our youth and families during this devastating time. 🕊️

We are especially grateful to our community leaders and partner organizations, including .a.r.r.c and , for their support, care, and leadership in helping bring this vigil together. Your solidarity means a great deal to the family and the broader community as we gather tomorrow in remembrance and support.

Thank you to everyone who has registered, we are sold out! We are still accepting registrations to a waiting list. If you already registered, you should have received an email with details from us (check your junk folder). If you are no longer able to attend, please let us know so we can open space for someone on the waitlist.

Looking forward to seeing you next week for this conversation with .haiven and from the Sense and Solidarity Initiative!