Students, educators, and community leaders gathered at U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education to celebrate Asian Heritage Month.
The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto welcomed students, educators, alumni and community leaders on May 8th, 2026 for its annual Asian Heritage Month Celebration of Achievement in Sport and Physical Activity, a day dedicated to culture, representation and connection through sport and movement.
Since 2002, Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated each May as an opportunity for Asian Canadians to honour their heritage and showcase the richness and diversity of their cultures with communities across Canada.
Held in the Athletic Centre Sports Gym, the event brought together high school students from across the Greater Toronto Area alongside faculty and staff members, university students and alumni to celebrate Asian heritage and explore the role sport can play in building community.
The event opened with a land acknowledgement and remarks from Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, who welcomed attendees and emphasized the importance of creating inclusive spaces where students from all backgrounds can see themselves reflected and celebrated.
One of the day’s most significant moments came during the keynote address delivered by former senator and Chancellor Emerita Vivienne Poy, a longtime advocate for Asian Canadian recognition and inclusion. Poy reflected on the origins and growth of Asian Heritage Month in Canada and the importance of continuing to create opportunities for young people to connect with culture and community.
“I like students, and I always enjoy talking to young people,” Poy said following her remarks. “Because they are the future.”
Poy also reflected on how dramatically Asian Heritage Month celebrations have expanded over the years. “I think it’s great,” she said. “I never expected how big it would grow, or how important it would become and how much it would be appreciated by Asian Canadians.”
Her remarks resonated with many in attendance, including Professor Zihang Lu, who described the keynote as one of the highlights of the day.
“I found Senator Poy’s speech really powerful, especially when she talked to the students about the history of Asian Heritage Month and this event in particular,” Lu said.
Lu pointed to the importance of having faculty members engage directly with high school students through events like this one. “Nowadays we value this kind of diversity,” he said. “It’s good to have different voices and different aspects. This event was an opportunity for me to interact with high school students and learn from them what kinds of things they actually look for in universities.”
Following the formal program, students rotated through interactive physical activity learning experiences. The activities included dragon boating, karate, badminton and cricket.
This was followed by an interview of Brian Tjoa, head coach of the Varsity Blues men’s badminton team, by Sandakie Ekanayake, assistant manager of EDI.
For the student emcees, Adam Chow, Nicholas Pham and Emily Liu, the event also became an opportunity to reflect on their own experiences with identity and representation.
Chow (left), a third-year kinesiology student, said he joined the initiative because he often felt disconnected from his Asian heritage growing up in Canada.
“I thought it would be a great way to connect with my people,” he said. “I think it’s great that the high school students coming here can experience some of what I feel like I didn’t really get to experience throughout my childhood.”
Pham, also a third-year student, spoke about navigating identity as a mixed-race student and the importance of representation for younger generations.
“When a kid sees someone who looks like them on TV, they point and know, ‘that could be me too,’” he said. “Being able to put such rich and diverse Asian cultures on the stage like this is really important.”
Liu emphasized the importance of creating inclusive spaces where students feel comfortable expressing every part of their identity, including being queer.
The day ended with closing remarks from KPE director of equity, diversity and inclusion Terry Gardiner.