Story by Muriel Draaisma When Toronto city councillor Lily Cheng was in Grade 5, she says she was harassed by three boys on her way home from school. The boys ran out and called her “all the derogatory names you can think of that apply to a Chinese person” before assaulting her, Cheng recalls.
An interview with the director of Big Fight in Little Chinatown. By Rachel Ho For documentarian Karen Cho signs that one often associates with death ironically point to a living, breathing Chinatown. “I remember telling my cameraman and cinematographers that what I was most excited about seeing were funeral stores,” says Cho, recalling her
Karen Cho on the Fight to Keep Chinatowns Big and Small Read More »
I lived at the same address throughout my American childhood, but neither of my Chinese-born parents could say exactly where they were from. By Vanessa Hua 阅读简体中文版 閱讀繁體中文版 When I asked my father where he was born, I never got a straight answer. Wuhan, he’d say. In other moments, he’d claim Wuchang. I
The Complexity in ‘Where Are You From?’ Read More »
Siblings’ quest to find out more about their Chinese parents’ complicated pasts. by Florence Hwang In 2006, 81-year-old Nellie Wong placed a framed cheque stub for $20,000 on her end table. At the time, its significance didn’t resonate with her five children. In fact, it was a piece of history. Nellie was one of the
Unlocking family secrets Read More »
In the face of gentrification, and economic pressures, residents and advocates are trying to revitalize neighbourhoods. by Yvette Brend William Liu grew up near his family’s frozen dim sum shop that opened in downtown Vancouver in 1991, later moving to a location on nearby East Pender Street, where freezers today brim with bao
Vancouver’s fight to save its struggling Chinatown one of many playing out across Canada Read More »
For the people who love Chinatown, a piece of this place only lives in memory. By Kathryn Mannie Chinatown’s steady decline as a hub of culture and economy in recent years comes as no surprise to people who know its history. Chinatown has always been under attack, ever since its formation. The only thing
The rise and fall of Chinatown: The hidden history of displacement you were never told Read More »
“I wish to congratulate the Chinese Freemasons of Canada on its 160th anniversary. In the 1800s, thousands of Chinese arrived in Canada to work on railroads, forestry and gold mines. They played a crucial role in Canada’s nation-building. Separated from their families, they worked under harsh conditions. In 1885 they built Ge Hing, now a
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pEUiVbh3MI Senator Ravalia gave a speech in support of Senator Woo’s inquiry calling the attention of the Senate to the one-hundredth anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, the contributions that Chinese Canadians have made to our country and the need to combat contemporary forms of exclusion and discrimination faced by Canadians of Asian descent. Dr.
Forty years ago, on my first day of law, I was sitting in a discussion circle with classmates, and we were asking ourselves why we were in law. Some talked about wanting to make lots of money. Some wanted to change the world. And some wanted to be famous as trial lawyers or counsel in
From the 2017 Convocation Speech by Senator Murray Sinclair Read More »
Lanterns, mooncakes, and families coming together to feast remain traditions in Chinese and Vietnamese households in Vancouver By Deanna Cheng Vancouver residents reflect on their holiday memories as they eat dinner with their families for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The holiday, also known as Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is celebrated across Asia and,
Mid-Autumn Festival a time of family and food for Vancouverites Read More »