''Love in the time of Covid'' is a research-creation project that uses the lens of three
mini documentaries to reflect on various forms of intimacy and affinity in connection with Asia and the Asian diaspora. Historically, Asian Studies (AS) in North America emerged as a field of intellectual inquiry fostered by the US government's investment and pursuit of American interests in Asia during the Cold War. By contrast, the discipline of Asian American Studies (AAS) has a radical origin. The development of AAS was energized by students from racialized communities who demanded a change of Euro-American-centric college curricula. The diverse legacies of these research and teaching practices continue to influence how new generations of students, educators and researchers imagine their subjects and objects of inquiry. Thus, our project embraces the progressive impetus of AAS while acknowledging the on-going geopolitical influences on the evolving communities of Asians and Asian-Canadians. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the Canadian public’s anxieties over Asia, especially China. As well, the pandemic has prompted heated debates on issues of economic inequalities and racial injustice across nation-state borders. Further, the health and mobility of human bodies have become increasingly subject to public health regulations and digital surveillance. With this context in mind, we use ''love'' as the central theme to invite critical reflections from a wide audience on the importance of compassion and empathy in building relationships and generating knowledge about Asia in the present conjuncture. Our project emphasizes transnational connections between Asia and North America, challenging stereotypes and exploring new methodologies for understanding Asian subjectivities.  We also aim to demonstrate not only the capacities and potentials of bodies but also their limitations and contradictions in the lived experience of Asians and Asian immigrants as they navigate the pandemic in Canada and beyond.