People hold placards as they gather to protest against anti-Asian hate crimes, racism and vandalism, outside City Hall in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 28, 2021. [Photo/Agencies] Racism against Asians is becoming more entrenched in Canada, with concerns perhaps the sharpest in British Columbia, the country's westernmost province known for its diverse Asian communities. Four in 10 people of Asian descent experienced some form of racism in the province over the past 12 months, according to a survey by Vancouver-based pollster Insights West. The pollster found "that concerns and personal experiences with racism in the past year are extremely pervasive". Insights West's survey shows anti-Asian racism has increased dramatically since the coronavirus pandemic began early in 2020. Racism, according to 83 percent of respondents, is a serious problem in the province of more than 5 million people, with 36 percent saying it is "very serious" and 48 percent saying it is "somewhat serious". Just 15 percent said it is not a serious problem.