Event Description

This symposium, held online on May 3-4, 2022, advances multidisciplinary, transcultural and transnational understandings of how disinformation affected Canada’s marginalized, minority, and Indigenous communities, when accurate and bias-free health and anti-racism messages on the Internet became more critical than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. It consists of featured papers, panel presentations, roundtable discussion, open forum and a focus group meeting to discuss the conclusions and recommendations for future direction. The participants include senior scholars, emerging academics, graduate and undergraduate students, as well as community and business leaders whose work leads them to focus on cross-cultural encounters, information movements across borders, processes of displacement and historical change. In addition to Toronto-based participants, presenters and audience can attend the symposium nationally and globally through virtual conferencing technology.

Symposium Organizers

• Jack Leong, York University Libraries
• Norda Bell, York University Libraries
• Yemisi Dina, Osgoode Hall Law Library
• Kalina Grewal, York University Libraries
• Thumeka Mgwigwi, York University Libraries
• Sharon Wang, Osgoode Hall Law Library

Symposium Sponsorship

This project was supported by:

• SSHRC Connection Grants
• York University Libraries
• Osgoode Hall Law School
• York Centre for Asian Research
• Canadian Studies Program and Asian Institute at the University of Toronto
• The Justin Poy Agency

Program Content

Opening Remarks

Joy Kirchner, Dean of York University Libraries

The Honourable Vivienne Poy, retired Senator of Canada

Keynote Address

Anti-Asian mis/disinformation on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic 

• Presentation: Harris Ali, Department of Sociology, York University; Fuyuki Kurasawa, Department of Sociology, York University

Panel 1: Communicating Safety and Building Trust

Race, trust, and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Canada

• Presentation: Cary Wu, Department of Sociology, York University

Panel 2: How Language Discriminates

What is in a name: the COVID-19 virus naming variants and their impact on Chinese Canadian community

• Paper: Jack Leong, York University Libraries, York University

A brief history of infectious disease, disability and racial conceptions of ‘healthy citizens’

• Paper: Geoffrey Reaume, School of Health Policy & Management, York University

Panel 3: Quality of Information and Social Behaviour

Topic modelling of far-right Canadians’ twitter discourses around COVID-19

• Extended Abstract: Ahmed Al-Rawi, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University

Mathematical modelling, quality of information and social behaviour

• Presentation: Jane Heffernan, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, York University

Trust, expertise, and information sources during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada: A national, longitudinal survey 

• Abstract: Eric Kennedy, School of Administrative Studies, York University

Roundtable 1: Community Response

COVID and its effects on racialized communities

Chair:

• Jack Leong, York University Libraries

Speakers:

• Winnie Cheung, Co-Founder, Pacific Canada Heritage Centre - Museum of Migration Society
• Amy Go, President, Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice
• Kevin Huang, Co-Founder & Executive Director, Hua Foundation
• Cheryl Prescod, Executive Director, Black Creek Community Health Centre
• Teresa Woo-Paw, former Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
• Gwendolyn Yip, University Ambassador, The University of British Columbia

Roundtable 2: Media Response

Is all “news” equal? A cross-cultural discussion of the dissemination and sharing of news in the era of COVID-19

Chair:

• Justin Poy, Justin Poy Agency

Speakers:

• Gavin Barrett, Multicultural Advertising Specialist
• Hamlin Grange, Diversity and Inclusion Specialist
• Bill Hutchison, Journalism Professor at Seneca College of Applied Arts/former News Anchor at CTV News
• Joseph Tsang (aka Bingham), Radio Host at Sing Tao A1 Chinese Radio
• Tony Wong, Contributing Columnist at The Toronto Star

Panel 4: COVID-19, Disinformation and Marginalized Communities

Infodemic deportability: Risks confronting essential migrant agricultural workers from Latin America and the Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Presentation: Leah Vosko, Department of Politics, York University

Covid-19 and healthcare waste in the global south: The information gap

• Paper: Jeffrey Squire, Department of Social Sciences, York University

Panel 5: COVID-19, Inequality and Marginalized Communities

How COVID-19 exacerbates educational inequities among racialized students

• Abstract: Carl James, Faculty of Education, York University

International solidarity and the (Diminishing?) global vaccine divide

• Abstract: Obiora Okafor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

Panel 6: Use, Abuse, & Erasure of Information during COVID-19

Newcomers’ (dis)information practices: The role of trust in immigrant networks

• Abstract: Nadia Caidi, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto

Panel 7: Lack of Access to Information: Unanticipated Consequences

Legal responses to domestic violence during COVID-19

• Presentation: Yemisi Dina, Osgoode Hall Law Library, York University

Digital exclusion of racialized women at risk of Gender-Based Violence during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Abstract: Nazilla Khanlou, School of Nursing, York University;Thumeka Mgwigwi, York University Libraries, York University

Closing Remarks

Supplementary Materials

• Speaker Biographies
• Symposium Program
• Symposium Poster