An Asian Canadian is a Canadian of Asian ancestry. Asian Canadians can either be born in Canada or be born overseas and later come to be citizens of Canada. They compose of about 10% of all Canadian citizens.

According to Statistics Canada (2001), large Asian Canadian groups are:

• Chinese Canadians (1,094,700): 8th largest of all Canadian ethnicities
• East Indian Canadians (713,330): 13th, including several nationalities of ancestry
• Filipino Canadians (327,550): 19th
• Vietnamese Canadian (151,410): 28th
• Korean Canadian (101,715)
• Japanese Canadian (85,230)
• Pakistani Canadian (74,015)

The Chinese Canadians are the largest group in all provinces except Manitoba, where the Filipino Canadians are the largest.

Notable Asian Canadians include:

• Ken Adachi , Toronto Star writer
• Raymond Chan, Member of Parliament
• Wei Chen, television news anchor (CTV Television Network, Toronto One)
• Ben Chin , television news anchor (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto One)
• Denise Chong , writer
• Kevin Chong , novelist
• Tommy Chong, actor(Cheech and Chong Up in Smoke)
• Olivia Chow, Toronto city councillor, and wife of New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton
• Wayson Choy, novelist
• Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada of Chinese ancestry
• Monika Deol , television presenter of Sikh ancestry
• Herb Dhaliwal, Liberal Member of Parliament and cabinet minister of Indian ancestry
• Ujjal Dosanjh, former premier of British Columbia, of Indian ancestry
• Atom Egoyan, filmmaker of Armenian ancestry
• Hedy Fry, Liberal Member of Parliament
• Jian Ghomeshi, musician (Moxy Früvous) and CBC television host
• Gurmant Grewal and Nina Grewal , Conservative Members of Parliament, the first married couple to serve as MPs in the same session of Parliament
• Emm Gryner, singer-songwriter of mixed Filipino ancestry
• Ian Hanomansing, CBC journalist of Indian ancestry
• Rahim Jaffer, politician of Indian ancestry
• Paul Kariya, NHL star of partial Japanese ancestry
• Arsinée Khanjian, actress and wife of Atom Egoyan
• Gail Kim, WWE wrestler of Korean heritage
• Joy Kogawa, writer of Japanese ancestry
• Kristin Kreuk, actress born to a Chinese mother
• Jenny Kwan, British Columbia MLA
• Larissa Lai, writer
• Evelyn Lau, poet and novelist
• Jeannie Lee , CBC journalist
• Sook-Yin Lee, musician, television (MuchMusic) and radio (CBC Radio One) personality
• Sophia Leung , Liberal Member of Parliament
• Shaun Majumder, comedian
• Gurbax Malhi, Liberal Member of Parliament
• Inky Mark, Conservative Member of Parliament
• Deepa Mehta, film director of Indian ancestry
• Roy Miki, poet of Japanese ancestry
• Bharati Mukherjee, novelist
• Sandra Oh, actor of Korean ancestry, who starred in the film version of The Autobiography of Evelyn Lau
• Natsuko Ohama , an actor of Japanese ancestry
• Ruth Ozeki , novelist
• Rey Pagtakhan, former Liberal Member of Parliament
• Russell Peters , comedian of Anglo-Indian ancestry
• Vivienne Poy, Senator
• Keanu Reeves, actor of partial Chinese and Hawaiian ancestry
• Kerri Sakamoto, novelist of Japanese ancestry
• Eric San, musician and turntablist who records as Kid Koala
• Shyam Selvadurai, novelist
• Tetsuro Shigematsu, CBC radio host
• Ashwin Sood, drummer for (and husband of) Sarah McLachlan, of Indian descent
• Alfred Sung , fashion designer
• Hannah Sung , MuchMusic videographer
• David Suzuki, scientist and television personality of Japanese ancestry
• Siu Ta , actress (This is Wonderland)
• Harinder Takhar, Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament, currently Minister of Transportation
• Jennifer Tilly and Meg Tilly, actresses of mixed Chinese ancestry
• David Usher, singer-songwriter of mixed Thai ancestry
• M.G. Vassanji, novelist of Indian descent, although born in Kenya
• Fred Wah , poet and novelist
• Jan Wong, Globe & Mail reporter
• Jean Yoon , poet and playwright

• For more Asian Canadians of Chinese ancestry, see Chinese Canadians.

In 2002, Asian Canadians were especially concerned for their security when several Asian women and girls were harassed, some seriously attacked or even killed. (See International student)

See also: Demographics of Canada, Asian American

External links

• Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
  • 2001 Statistics I
• Arts, Literature, Culture
• 2001 Statistics II