Canada MP of Indian and Chinese heritage to resign over health issues

Shuan Chen, the first individual with both Indian and Chinese heritage to serve in Canada's Parliament, will formally resign from his role as the representative for Scarborough North, Toronto, in the House of Commons on August 15, according to a statement released on Monday. The decision was made due to health complications stemming from a severe motor vehicle accident that occurred last year while Chen was en route to Ottawa.

In his announcement, Chen expressed that the incident had resulted in significant health issues, which now make it challenging for him to fulfill the frequent travel requirements associated with his position. Following extensive discussions with his family, he concluded that it was in the best interest of his health to step down as a Member of Parliament.

Chen was first elected to the House of Commons in October 2015 and subsequently re-elected in three subsequent elections. In a 2015 interview with the Hindustan Times, he described his unique position as someone born in Canada of Chinese descent with Indian heritage through his parents. Chen actively participated in the Canada-India Parliamentary Friendship Group, having visited India in February 2018 as part of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's bilateral trip.

Chen is part of a very small minority of Chinese-origin diaspora who migrated to Canada from India, occupying a unique hyphenated space in the country. His parents, Yueh Ming and Kuo Tsai Chen, were both born and raised in India before moving to Canada in the 1970s due to the decline of their family business in Kolkata. Chen's mother and father spoke Hindi, and when he was younger, he was unable to understand a word of the language spoken by his parents.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed gratitude for Chen's years of service in a post on X, praising his advocacy for young people and his efforts to combat racism. He wished Chen a full recovery and the best for his future endeavors. Anirudh Bhattacharya, a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues and an author, who has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York across print, television, and digital media, is known as @anirudhb on Twitter.