One Book. Ten Provinces. Dozens of Lives.
True stories from across Canada, for everyone discovering, adapting to, and building a life in Canada.
English Title: Ha Ha Canada
ISBN: 9781989987216
Chinese Title: 《戏说加拿大》
ISBN: 9781989987193
Publisher: North American Chinese Research Press
Initiated and Presented by: Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver
What does Canada look like through the eyes of Chinese Canadians living across the country?
Ha Ha Canada offers an answer through the lived experiences of ordinary people. The book grew out of a nationwide writing project initiated by the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Vancouver, with support and participation from community organizations and media across Canada. A total of 155 submissions were received, with 57 selected works brought together in this collection. The contributors come from all ten Canadian provinces, representing different generations, professions, communities, and immigration experiences.
Rather than attempting to define Canada through statistics or broad narratives, Ha Ha Canada tells the story of the country through individual lives. The essays explore first encounters with a new culture, experiences in the workplace, family and community life, and the challenges and discoveries that come with learning new social norms, institutions, and values. They also reflect on identity, belonging, civic participation, and the gradual process of making Canada home.
Each story offers a distinct window into Canadian life. Together, these 57 personal accounts create a broader portrait of Chinese Canadian experiences across the country—documenting how immigrants and their families have come to understand Canada, adapt to its society, participate in their communities, and establish a sense of belonging.
Ha Ha Canada is therefore more than a collection of immigration stories. It is a work of contemporary nonfiction that captures a particular period in Canadian social history, while offering readers an accessible window into Canadian society, Chinese Canadian communities, immigration, and cross-cultural life.
The book is recommended for newcomers and long-time Canadians alike, as well as students, educators, researchers, and readers interested in multicultural Canada and the lived experiences of Chinese Canadians.
We particularly encourage public libraries, university and college libraries, school libraries, cultural institutions, and community organizations across Canada to consider adding both the English and Chinese editions to their collections, so that these stories from Canada’s ten provinces can be preserved, shared, and discovered by readers from many different backgrounds.
One book. Ten provinces. Dozens of lives.
Read their stories—and discover the Canada we share.
Contact: hahacanadabook@gmail.com