ABSTRACT
Brampton is a Canadian city in Ontario’s Greater Toronto Area. It is called the little India Community in Canada. Of the 250 different ethnic origins reported, Indian was the most frequent accounting for 26.2% of Brampton’s population. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many communities in Brampton in different ways. However, it has had a disproportionate impact on the city’s racialized communities as many essential workers originate from these communities. This article looks into how COVID-19 has impacted the Indian (South Asian) community in Brampton. It identifies various impacts and reasons for the community’s overexposure, and finally proposes recommendations that are tailored to this community to help them address the causes and impacts. This article also discusses how structural barriers that the Indian community faces play a role in their overexposure to COVID-19. Primarily these barriers force them to work in jobs that were deemed essential during the pandemic. The community’s living situation of multi-generational households also complicates their ability to self-isolate. This article also discusses culturally sensitive services, especially when it comes to information about prevention, transmission control, and vaccination. This article identifies key themes related to the prevalence of COVID-19 in the South Asian community and the lasting impacts of COVID-19 on the South Asian community.
