Yearly Archives: 2006

Community meeting: “Don't Exclude Us Again” say Sons and Daughters of Chinese Head Tax Payers

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A community meeting is taking place in Toronto on May 4th, to address issues of redress for Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act.

A similar community meeting will take place in Vancouver:


Saturday May 6th, 2pm,

SUCCESS. 

28 West Pender  St.

This will be organized by CCNC, ACCESS and the BC Coalition for Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants.


Media Advisory
May 3, 2006

“Don’t
Exclude Us Again” say Sons and Daughters of Chinese Head Tax Payers

Vancouver/Edmonton/Regina/Toronto/Ottawa/Montreal/Halifax/St.
John’s.

Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC), Ontario
Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families (Ontario Coalition), and
redress-seeking groups will convene a news conference tomorrow to call upon the
Government to provide fair and inclusive redress:


Date:               Thursday,
May 4, 2006

Time:              11:00
am EST

\Place:              CCNC
office 302 Spadina Ave Suite 507


Speakers:        Colleen
Hua, National President, CCNC
                      
Victor Wong, Executive
Director, CCNC

                       Susan
Eng, Co-Chair, Ontario
Coalition
                      
George Lau, Co-Chair, Ontario
Coalition
                      
Avvy Go, Legal Counsel, Ontario Coalition

“Don’t
exclude us again” is the message that sons and daughters of Chinese Head
Tax payers presented at cross country consultations organized by Heritage Canada
over the past two weeks. More than 1,500 Chinese Canadians attended meetings in
Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal and Winnipeg to share their
painful stories of discrimination, hardship, and decades of separation from
their parents during the Chinese Exclusion Act era, most of whom were elderly
sons and daughters of people who had paid the head tax.

All welcomed the
Government’s commitment to a Parliamentary Apology and Chinese Head Tax
Redress in the Throne Speech and were encouraged by the words and receptiveness
of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Hon. Bev Oda, and
Mr. Jason Kenney, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

“This
is a historic moment, and the first step to righting a historic wrong,”
said 88-year-old Head Tax payer James Pon. “Without a
doubt, the process of reconciliation has begun.”

Mr. Pon is one of the few
head tax payers alive today because his father paid his head tax for him when
he was an infant. There were more than 2000 head tax payers or spouses alive in
1984 when the Chinese Canadian National Council started to campaign for head
tax redress. After more than 21 years of inaction by successive federal
governments, there are only about 250 head tax payers and spouses alive today
across Canada.

But the
head tax payers and their wives are not the only victims who endured much pain
and suffering. 
“My mother is both a spouse and daughter of head tax payers. She never
met her father who died in Ottawa
in 1916.  She was separated from my father for most of 14 years. Alone,
she raised children through famine and war before they were allowed to come to Canada.
I would be totally against a redress settlement that denies that this racist
legislation did not affect entire families.” said Yew Lee, Co-Chair of the Ontario Coalition.

“The sons and daughters
were directly affected by the racist Head Tax and Exclusion Acts in their own
right and it would not be fair to exclude them from redress”
said William Dere of the Chinese
Canadian Redress Alliance [Montreal].
“Surely, the Government got that message
from the consultations – their suffering was real and personal.”

“If the federal government
had acted as quickly in 1984 as the Harper government has so far just 3 months
into its mandate, then the families who have registered with us would have
received redress” said Colleen
Hua, CCNC National President. “Their sons and daughters
should not be excluded simply because their parents could not outlive
Government intransigence.”

“The only fair settlement is “one certificate,
one payment” so that the sons and daughters of those who have predeceased
and still carry the pain both for what their parents suffered and what they
endured themselves will see justice too.” said Kenda Gee of Edmonton Chinese HTEA Redress Committee [Alberta].

Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) and other redress-seeking
groups including the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families
(Ontario Coalition), B.C. Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants
(B.C. Coalition), Saskatchewan Chinese Head Tax Redress Committee,
Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity (ACCESS), Edmonton Chinese HTEA Redress
Committee,  and Chinese Canadian Redress
Alliance (CCRA) are now joined by the Halifax Chinese Redress Committee and Newfoundland and Labrador Head Tax Redress
Committee in the campaign to redress the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion
Act.

 
-30-

For more information, please contact:         

Chinese Canadian National Council
Colleen Hua, National President, (647) 299-1775 (Toronto)
Dr. Joseph Wong, CCNC Founding President, (416) 806-0082 (Toronto)
Victor Wong, Executive Director, (416) 977-9871 (Toronto)

Ontario
Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Families
Susan Eng, Co-Chair, (416) 960-0312 (Toronto)
George Lau, Co-Chair (416) 588-1751 (Toronto)
Yew Lee, Co-Chair, (819) 827-3357 (Ottawa)
Avvy Go, Legal Counsel, (416) 971-9674 (Toronto)

BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants

Gabriel
Yiu, Chinese-language spokesperson (604) 889-0696 (Vancouver)
Karin Lee, English-language spokesperson (778) 773-1088 (Vancouver)
Harvey Lee, English-language spokesperson (604) 254-7137 (Vancouver)

Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity

Sid Tan, President/ CCNC National Director, (604) 783-1853 (Vancouver)

Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance


William Dere (514) 488-0804 (Montreal)
Walter Tom (514) 341-3929 (Montreal)

Edmonton Chinese HTEA Redress
Committee

Kenda Gee, Chair, (780)
487-3536 (Edmonton)

Saskatchewan
Chinese Head Tax Redress Committee

Sam
Gee, Chair, (306) 586-7579 (Regina)
Choon
Yong, Vice-Chair, (306) 586-9663 (Regina)

Halifax
Chinese Redress Committee

May
Lui, Chairperson, (902) 423-7802 (Halifax)

Newfoundland and Labrador
Head Tax Redress Committee

Gordon Jin, Co-Chair, (709) 726-7872 (St. John’s)

Chinese Head Tax Redress – A Framework for Reconciliation – Update

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This
is the framework for redress suggested by the combined efforts of the
Chinese Canadian National Council and the Coalitions for Redress from
across Canada.  It has been submitted to the Federal government to
aid the Redress process. 

It emphasizes a two stage process
with immediate apology, and compensation for surviving head tax payers
and spouses – because of their advanced age.



The second stage will address
compensation to the estate of deceased head tax payers and spouses, as
their children are also seen as “direct victims” of the tax and
exclusion act.

Chinese Head Tax Redress

A Framework for Reconciliation – Update

Reconciliation has Begun

A Framework for Reconciliation was proposed immediately on the
inauguration of the new government in February 2006, setting out a two stage
process to allow the government’s commitments to be implemented in an
orderly fashion with broad community input.

In a reflection of the priority the government assigns to redress and
reconciliation, a number of significant milestones have been attained in less
than two months, including immediate consultations with community and redress
groups from across Canada, apology and redress set as a government priority in
the Throne Speech and cross country consultations held directly with a broad
reach of Chinese Canadian individuals. Noteworthy is that the consultations
were personally conducted by the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Jason Kenney, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime
Minister and both Ministers continue to give their personal attention to this
matter.

The Framework outlined the general principles for redress and
reconciliation and the progress to date has honoured those principles,
beginning with the promised apology and the acknowledgement already given by
the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary in their formal comments that the Head
Tax and Exclusion Acts were “racist legislation”. In the 20 year
history of the redress campaign, this is the first acknowledgement that an act
of Parliament was in fact racist, that it was wrong and that an apology was
due. This validates the sense of injustice felt by so many who brought their
wrenching stories to the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary at the public
consultations.

Another important achievement of the consultations was the direct
participation of individual members of the community, unmediated by community
organizations. These particular generations of Chinese Canadians have felt the
sting of racism directly sanctioned by the Parliament of the day, made worse by
the knowledge that there was then no avenue of recourse or appeal. The same
group of people were able to shed more than a little of that sense of
powerlessness by being invited, as it were, to “speak truth to
power”. That too, has resonance, for those particular people and for the
generations that follow.

Without doubt, the process of reconciliation has already begun.

The purpose of separating the process into two phases was to allow the
government to immediately move forward on securing the Parliamentary Resolution
for the apology and on providing direct redress to the surviving head tax
payers and spouses as soon as July 1st, 2006 without being delayed
by the complexities of addressing the concerns of descendents who have much
more diverse positions on appropriate redress beyond that for those survivors.
However, now that hundreds of Chinese Canadians across the country have borne
witness to the impact of the Head Tax and Exclusion Acts on entire families,
the principles that should guide the offering of appropriate redress must be
explored.

General principles – restated:

The principles previously articulated still hold but they must be
refined and extended to deal more specifically with the issues raised in recent
consultations.

1.      The
fundamental purpose of redress is to achieve reconciliation, restore justice and
rebuild trust. It speaks to the credibility of the government and is a test of
its genuine political commitment to eradicate the racism that gave rise to such
wrongs so that they will not be repeated. It is a statement of our values
– inclusion and racial equality.

2.      Consequently,
the government must deal directly with those most affected, the head tax payers
and their families; this underscores the urgency of acting quickly because the
surviving head tax payers and spouses are mostly in their 90s. The two phase
Framework was intended to allow these elders to see justice while they were
still alive but it did not mean to exclude any redress for the injustice they suffered
if they have predeceased.

3.      Apology
is the first step and a precondition in achieving reconciliation;Redress must be commensurate with and be tied
specifically to the injustice to serve justice. 

  1. While the Head Tax and
    Exclusion Acts are the manifest sources of the injustice, the underlying
    cause was the widespread racism of the day. To properly redress such
    wrongs, a broad interpretation of the extent of the injustice must be
    adopted.
  2. The focus must be
    on dignity, respect and vindication. The courts have ruled that redress is
    not an issue of legal rights but moral and equitable rights. A principled
    political decision should not be confined by legal restrictions and
    precedent but rather should serve the public good, in this case, by
    restoring dignity, according respect and vindication to the greatest reach
    of the injured community as realistically possible.


 The Parameters of Restorative Justice 

A.     This
is a political and moral decision, not one of legal rights and precedents.

B.     The
impact of the injustice and legislated racism was felt by entire families.

C.     The
impact of restorative justice and repudiation of racist legislation will be
felt by generations to come.

D.     Ascertaining
who paid the Head Tax is a practical way of identifying the group of people to whom
redress should be rendered; it may be said that a moral debt is owed to these
people.

E.      There
is no reason, in the cause of moral justice and reconciliation, why such
redress may not be paid to the estate of the head tax payer who has predeceased
although it may be reasonable to limit such payment to the first generation
still living in Canada; but for the 20 years of resistance by successive
federal governments, the Head Tax payers and spouses themselves would have
received the payments directly. They should not be excluded simply because they
could not outlive government intransigence. The redress is due to the head tax
payer or spouse; payment to the estate is merely the method of implementation.

F.      Identifying
and including all those who were directly and unjustly affected must be
balanced against the interest in pressing ahead to achieve an already too long
delayed resolution. Consequently, some limits may be placed on the notion of
“one certificate, one payment”, including the date on which the
Head Tax payer or spouse must have been alive, and as above, limit payment to
the first generation.

G.     The
amount of redress must be substantive to have significance but it has always
been recognized as a symbolic amount, not an actuarial calculation of the debt
owed.

H.     Ceremony
and symbolism play a vital role hence the significance and gratitude accorded
to the steps already taken – the promises in the first Prime Ministerial news
conference, on Chinese New Year’s Eve, on the UN International Day for
the Elimination of Racism, inclusion in the Throne Speech, the target date of
July 1st. There are a number of other symbolic dates such as:

May 17th –
the day the Exclusion Act was repealed in 1947; May is also Asian Heritage
Month

November 7th
– anniversary of the Last Spike Ceremony

Dec 10th –
International Human Rights Day

I.       
The process of reconciliation cannot be
forced into a predetermined timetable. If the current consultations are
inadequate to ensure that all views have been represented, the first stage should
be allowed to proceed and meet the July 1st target while additional
work on stage two may continue.

While
there are different ideas as to what is the appropriate form and amount of
redress, we should be able to agree on the principles that underpin redress and
reconciliation.

These
suggestions are respectfully submitted.

Winnipeg Sun (April 27): “Stakes Raised on racist head tax”

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Winnipeg Sun (April 27): “Stakes Raised on racist head tax”


Many of the original head tax payers and spouse have passed on, leaving
their head tax certificates to their children and grandchildren in the
hopes that there would be some tax refund or compensation to come in
the future.

We all know it was racially motivated.  Only the Chinese were targeted.

As a 5th Generation Chinese Canadian and a 3rd generation descendant, I
will not be eligible for any head tax redress compensation.  But
my 95 year old grandmother is a descendant and a widow.  My 81
year old father and his 2 surviving older sisters and 2 surviving older
brothers will be eligible.  They all lived through the head tax
years and the Chinese Exlcusion Act, as well as the institutional
racisim that followed. 

I believe that a one certificate – one payment redress is fair. 
There are many people such as my grandmother's husband's uncle who paid
the head tax, and whose only child died in China.  My great
granduncle “Tai Gung”, never ever saw his child, because he worked in
Canada to support them.

Here is an interesting article that outlines the issues of compensating the surving children of head tax payers.


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April 27, 2006

Stakes raised on racist head tax

By JOHN GLEESON



The ground is shifting underfoot on the Harper
government as it tries to deliver closure on the thorny issue of the Chinese
head tax. And the political stakes couldn't be higher.

For a generation, Chinese-Canadians have been
lobbying the federal government for an apology and some form of restitution
to survivors of the blatantly racist head tax of the late 1800s and early
1900s. The Harper government signalled in its throne speech earlier this
month that a formal apology from Ottawa
was on the table. A compensation deal is in the works also — but that's
where the situation has become a little dicey.

With only an estimated 200 surviving head tax payers
and their spouses, the restitution element of redress was seen as largely
symbolic. Now, however, some Chinese-Canadians want compensation also paid to
the estates of head tax payers whose adult children are still alive.

That would bring the number to “4,500
tops,” says Susan Eng, co-chair
of the Ontario Coalition
of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families.

Eng, in a phone interview from Toronto,
said the change in focus comes after last week's series of public
consultations between federal officials and affected Chinese-Canadians in major
cities (the Winnipeg
session is this Sunday).

The meetings attracted descendants of the head tax
payers “by the hundreds,” said Eng, who admitted she was skeptical
of the hastily arranged consultations at first but, much to her delight,
found them to be “a true exercise in direct democracy” for the
people who attended.

“Some of these people have waited 20 years
without any government ever listening to them before this. And they left very
heartened.”

Eng's reading of the Conservatives is that there is
finally a government in Ottawa
that “gets it.”

“Both Jason Kenney
(parliamentary secretary to Harper) and (Heritage Minister) Bev Oda described the head tax and Exclusion Act
as racist legislation. That was a real step forward from what we heard from
politicians in the past. It was always 'a stain on our history,' 'a dark
chapter of our past' — crap like that. But now they're calling it what it
was.

“Because it was sensitively handled, it really
did have an impact on these people.”

What the people told the politicians was that the
children of the head tax payers also paid a high price because of Canada's
racist policies — not only did their parents paying the $500 tax affect them
directly but many were themselves subject to the Chinese Exclusion Act, which
kept them separated from a parent in Canada who had ironically paid the head
tax to get here.

“The years of separation and the tragic stories
have been quite moving,” Eng said.

No specific amount of restitution has been
universally endorsed by Chinese-Canadians. Some have asked for $20,000 per
person — but that was when they were only looking at compensating the
handful of survivors. Eng said no one expects to get the full value of the
money back (at the turn of the last century, $500 would buy two building lots
in Vancouver)
and insisted that beyond the money, “it's the dignifying of the process
that's really important.”

Eng was gracious enough to ask my opinion as a
newspaper editor about the public
response to such an “upping of the ante.” I told her frankly it
would be a hard sell among some Canadians who have given up trying to keep
track of who's being compensated how much for what historic sin this time.

But I also told her that including the descendants
was the honourable thing to do and they should go for it. That generation did
pay dearly and they should get something back in return.

And my unsolicited advice to Stephen
Harper is to go for it, too. Not only will it be fair and
just, but it will potentially shift key ridings in Toronto
and Vancouver
from the Liberals and NDP to the Conservatives in the next election. A
million strong, Chinese-Canadians can potentially help hand the Conservatives
a majority government.

That's a nice fringe benefit from merely doing the
right thing.

image

 

 

 

Head Tax Consultation meeting in Montreal: from Victor Wong and Canwest Newstory

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Head Tax Consultation meeting in Montreal: report from Victor Wong

The Montreal
consultation was restorative for many in the audience. George Lau, Binh Chow, Mr. Ng, Doug Hum, representing the Ontario
Coalition, Maria Chan from CBA Toronto and others including yours truly drove
up from Toronto.
Jonas Ma (CCNC Ottawa) from drove in from Ottawa.
Yat Lo and Christina Samfat (Amite Chinoise) spoke.
Doug, Maria Chan and Jonas spoke. Everyone urged the govt
to move quickly and do the right thing. Please see William’s report
below.

Many families spoke from their heart…Mrs. Wong's presentation was
very powerful especially when she held up her father's laundry bag. Many of local  laundries in Montreal were run by
Chinese families (check out William’s film: Moving The Mountain). 

Filmmaker Karen Cho, who is also a descendant, gave a strong
presentation. I was sitting beside the microphone where she spoke and her voice
shook the entire room. Karen recalled the stories she heard from the many
families she met while making her film “In The
Shadow of Gold Mountain” and presented a DVD copy to Minister Oda. Please see the CanWest/National Post news article
below; the Gazette has an edited version.

I spoke about CCNC's work, my own family's
experience under the HTEA (more than 50 years to unite our family in Canada and
I consider my family lucky because so many people never met their father or
grandfather), and I paid tribute to the local groups including Amite Chinoise,
Redress Alliance, NCCC (Quebec) and CBA-Canada affiliates. Only local NCCC reps
spoke and they pitched the AiP but they didn’t
oppose the families. I asked the govt to include a
meaningful gesture of regret to the families. 

William, May and Walter spoke.
Doug Hum got the last word in: “Leave the head tax money for the head tax
payers and their families.”

We still have to work hard to convince the govt
to resolve this issue in a just and honourable manner, in a manner that
respects our common interests of family, respect and dignity and to do this
preferably by July 1st.

 

Hip, Hapa, Happening and Interculturally Interesting April 28 to May 5

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Hip, Hapa, Happening and Interculturally Interesting April 28 to May 5

There is
definitely lots of real cool stuff happening this week, especially with
the explorASIAN festival
celebrating Asian Heritage Month presenting
great stuff.  My weekend is packed.  I can't be down at
Centre A to help register head tax certificates on Saturday because I
am pulling a work shift at the Vancouver Public Library (proudly
wearing my 30 year service pin).  May 1st is Workers Day, and I
also can't be at the April 28th celebration at Capri Hall, which is
boasting lots of great multicultural and intercultural
performers.  And I can't  attend the Scottish stuff happening
on Saturday either.

Saturday
night I attend the BC Book Prize Gala, where Bill Richardson will be
MC.  I will be at a table with Joy Kogawa, Bill Turner (The Land
Conservancy) and my fellow Save Kogawa House committee coordinator
Ann-Marie Metten, as we toast the saving and purchase of Kogawa House.

Gung Haggis dragon boat
practice on Sunday afternoon 1pm.  It is the last day of the ADBF
public paddling program. 
Come join us for a 30 minute paddle in a
dragon boat for $2. Ipm – meet at the Green Trailer building in
Creekside Park – just a few paces south of Science World. 
Consider it a waterfront tour of Vancouver's
False Creek – much more interactive than the mini-ferries.

Great plays coming up with Simon Johnston's “Rice Rockets and Yacht People” and “Finding Home” by Welly Yang and Dina Morishita

Liutenant Governor's BC Book Prize Gala
Saturday, April 29 • 5:30
pm,
Marriott Pinnacle Hotel, 1128 West Hastings Street.
For more information, call the BC Book Prizes at 604-687-2405
www.bcbookprizes.ca
Emceed by
Bill Richardson, this 22nd annual BC Book Prizes gala will recognize our
province’s finest literary achievements in seven categories, as well as celebrate the recipient of
the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Literary Excellence.
Free post-gala reception at 9:30 pm.
Tickets must be ordered by April 21.

Join
Broadway Performer/Playwright Welly Yang and Performer/Co-Producer Dina
Morishita from FINDING HOME for an intimate Artist Talk and Q&A
event at Centre A 

Saturday - April 29
7pm - 9pm
Doors open at 6:30pm

Admission: FREE 
Centre A - Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
2 WEST HASTINGS STREET, VANCOUVER
www.centrea.org
S.T.A.T.U.S. Coalition presents...
MAY DAY 2006**
"Long live International Workers' Day!"
Commemorating the International Workers' Struggle and Migrant Labour & Immigrant workers 
Resistance...
SATURDAY APRIL 29 @ 7:30 PM- 1 AM
DINNER WILL BE SERVED. DJ’S AFTER 10 PM.
CAPRI HALL, 3925 Fraser (corner East 23rd Ave)
5-10$ suggested donation- includes dinner 
Community performers, poets, and multimedia presentations:
Dhol Nation Academy, Hugo Rojas, Marcus Youssef, Mariam Durrani, Mexican Migrant Workers, 
Ndidi Cascade, Michael Franti, Kelis, K-OS, & Kardinal Offishall, Oscar Villalobos, Sinag Bayan, 
Filipino cultural collective, Wayde Compton, Yyadzehe Gatica with the Consejo Indigena Popular 
de Oaxaca

SPIRIT OF SCOTLAND
April 29, Seaquam Secondary School (11584 Lyon Rd., Delta).
Tix and info 604-463-3421, www.sfupipeband.com/.
Afternoon concert with performances by Robert Malcolm Memorial Pipe
Bands, SFU Pipe Band,and the Heather Jolley Dancers (4 pm); evening
ceilidh and dinner featuring Blackthorn (6:30 pm)


SOUNDS OF SCOTLAND
April 29, 8 pm, Scottish Cultural Centre. Tix $25, info 604-929-1802.
Scottish fiddle champion Paul Anderson and singer-pianist George Donald perform on a program
with the Vancouver Scottish Country Dance Dem Team and local singer Wilma Paton. 

RICE ROCKETS & YACHT PEOPLE
May 4-13, Gateway Theatre (6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond). Tix $24/22,
 info www.gatewaytheatre.com/
The Gateway’s New Play Series presents Simon Johnston’s drama about the clash of values 
between new Canadians and longtime Caucasian residents, focusing on a well-to-do couple from 
Shanghai and their street-racing kids.

PALESTINE, ISRAEL, AND ME: A POWER PLAY

May 5 & 7, 7:30pm, Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 949 W. 49th

Forum
Theatre piece about the struggle for peace and justice in Palestine and
Israel,and the profound effects of that struggle on people and
communities in Canada. Facilitated by Headlines Theatre with the
participation of local Jewish and Palestinian organizations.

explorYOUTH 2006: e-race

May 2, 7 pm, Vancouver East Cultural Centre (1895 Venables). Info www.explorasian.org/.

VECC Youth Week, explorASIAN, and MISCELLANEOUS Productions present a screening of clips 
from a DVD of the hip-hop musical e-race, plus a panel discussion featuring four young 
writer-performers from Asian backgrounds, moderated by director and writer Elaine Carol.

JAPANESE FAIRYTALE

May 2, 10:30 am, Silk Purse Arts Centre (1570 Argyle Ave., West Van.). 
Tix $10, info 604-925-7292.
UBC Opera members Michael Mori and Teiya Kashahara perform folksongs and arias from 
the opera Turandot.

TOMODACHI
May 2, 10:30 am, Silk Purse Arts Centre (1570 Argyle Ave., West Van.). 
Tix $10, info 604-925-7292.
VSO violinist Akira Nagai and his wife, violist Seri, perform Western classical and various 
kinds of traditional Japanese music.

FINDING HOME –
Canadian Premiere & Opening Event for explorASIAN 2006
May 5 – 8:00pm
May 6 – 2:00pm & 8:00pm
The Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage 2750 Granville St., Vancouver, BC
Tickets $88, $58, $38

Join Broadway Performer/Playwright Welly Yang, Dina Morishita, and friends in a
Night of Musical Theatre!


In a musical journey about finding home, Yang explores three generations of
family history: stories of leaving home and finding home, of love lost and love
found, and of dreams deferred and dreams realized. The show artfully weaves
together seventeen Broadway classics and contemporary songs by Elton John, Tim
Rice, Dan Hill and Luther Vandross among others. 

 

 

Media Watch for Joy Kogawa House news weekend of April 28 to 30.

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Media Watch for Joy Kogawa House news weekend of April 28 to 30.


Busy Busy day for Joy Kogawa and the Save Kogawa House Committee and The Land Conservancy.

Joy Kogawa and Bill Turner took a 7am ferry from Victoria to Vancouver,
following the jam-packed reading at Chapters bookstore last
night.  They went over to CTV and CBC television studios for
interviews.

Kevin Griffin of the Vancouver Sun, phoned looking for Joy for a quick
comment.  He said the story will be running in Saturday's
Vancouver Sun.

Check out CBC Radio One 690AM in Vancouver. 
Sheryl Mackay, host of “North By Northwest” may have Joy Kogawa on air shortly after 7am.
Sheryl was one of our special guest readers at the April 25th “Joy of Canadian Words” at Christ Church Cathedral.

Joy will be attending the BC Book Prizes Gala on Saturday Night
http://www.bcbookprizes.ca/events06.htm

Joy sent me this message today:

“In haste – on this miraculous day – got to go
make supper for grandkids”

Heather Skydt of The Land Conservancy wrote:

Check out CBC Newsworld or
The National tonight…:)
CBC Radio also did a blurb about the kogawa
announcement on BC Almanac today.
On Sunday, check out Joy on Colour TV (City
TV) 6:30pm.
Metro also had an article today, too.
The Vancouver Sun will
hopefully have an article in tomorrow's paper.
 

TLC TO PURCHASE HISTORIC JOY KOGAWA HOUSE

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NEWS RELEASE                   

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  April 28, 2006

TLC TO PURCHASE HISTORIC JOY KOGAWA HOUSE

VANCOUVER, BC – TLC
The Land Conservancy of British Columbia announced today that it is
moving forward with the purchase of the historic Joy Kogawa House and
will prevent its demolition.

“While we still need
to raise more funds to purchase and operate the house, our ‘option to
purchase’ expires this weekend,” explained TLC Executive Director Bill Turner. “We are out of time. So TLC
has decided to step forward, and take out a mortgage if necessary, to
make sure that this important piece of our country’s heritage will not
be lost.”

Turner said that by exercising the option to purchase, it will put the future of Kogawa House under the control of TLC
and the community. This, in effect, will take away the threat of
imminent redevelopment.  The house had been the subject of a
development proposal, and a demolition permit had been requested.  The
City of Vancouver put that request on hold for three months in order to
allow TLC and the Save Kogawa House Committee the time to raise funds to purchase the property.

To date $230,000 has been raised from over 500 donors. TLC
needs $700,000 specifically to purchase the house and is seeking a
total of $1.25 million which includes funds for restoration and for an
endowment to allow the house to be used both as an educational site
addressing the issue of the internment of Canadians of Japanese
heritage during the Second World War and as a site for a
‘Writers-in-Residence’ program.

“We are confident
that, given enough time, we will be able to raise the necessary funds
for this project.  We have requests in to the City of Vancouver and to
the Government of Canada, as well as to many other potential donors,
and we remain optimistic that their support for this important project
will be forthcoming. In the meantime, TLC is prepared to take on the risk and protect the site.”

Noted Canadian
Author Joy Kogawa was overwhelmed when told the news that her childhood
home would not be demolished. “Words can’t express how much this means
to me,” she said. “This is definitely a miracle. What a wonderful new
day!”

Turner said that TLC
would be exercising the option to purchase (i.e. making the legal
commitment) this weekend, and that the purchase will close at the end
of May. During that time, TLC
needs to call on everyone who wants to help protect this important part
of our heritage to make their donation as soon as possible. Donations
can be made to TLC at (604) 733-2313 or online at www.conservancy.bc.ca.

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For further information:

TLC:    Bill Turner (250) 213-1090; bturner@conservancy.bc.ca

Heather Skydt (604) 733-2313; hskydt@conservancy.bc.ca

Save Kogawa House Committee:    Ann-Marie Metten (604) 263-6586; ametten@telus.net  

Todd Wong, (604) 987-7124; gunghaggis@yahoo.ca

KOGAWA HOUSE is being SAVED! It's REALLY happening! The Land Conservancy will purchase Kogawa House to create a Writing Centre.

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KOGAWA
HOUSE is being SAVED!  It's REALLY happening!  The Land
Conservancy will purchase Kogawa House to create a Writing Centre.

It's TRUE!  It really is going to happen!

The Land Conservancy is moving forward to exercise their option to purchase Kogawa House from the owner.

Lots of happy people around the world… now to make it REALLY HAPPENING!

The Metro News called me yesterday for a comment
for a story.

Reporter Tia Able said that Bill Turner had just told her
“We're buying the house – no matter what.  It's going to happen.”

I asked her. “Did he really say that? 
Wow!!!

She
also asked why the purchase of the house was so important to me.

“Because
Obasan was the first Asian-Canadian book that made it okay for us to tell our
stories,” I explained that “as an 5th generation Chinese-Canadian, I know how
hard it was for my parents, my grand parents and my great-grandparents to find
acceptance in this country.  It was the same for the Japanese Canadians –
moreso because of the internment.

“Establishing Kogawa House as a
historical landmark for all Canadians means that we have gained acceptance and
are important.  Saving Joy Kogawa's childhoom home to share with all
Canadians is like Pierre Berton House, in the Yukon, or George Ryga's home in
the Okanagan or Emily Carr's home in Victoria.

“We can have a physical
place that says here was a home where Joy Kogawa lived as a child, until she was
interned.  It is a physical place like the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam,
or Anne of Green Gables Cottage in PEI, where people can say “This is where she
lived and played.” 

“Thousands of people visit Anne of Green Gables
Cottage, but she was fictional.  Joy Kogawa is real, Anne Frank was
real.  We need a place where we can say that racism can never do this
again.”

Bill Turner sent me an e-mail with the following:

“Yes I really said that.

“Heather and Joy will be doing a lot of media work this
morning.    They are taking the 7am ferry from Victoria to
Vancouver and going immediately to CTV where Joy will go on camera at
11am.

“Joy will then go to CBC TV for
an update filming to the segment they will show on the National
tonight.   I believe that around mid day the media release will go
out.

 
“Last night's event at Chapters in Victoria was
packed.  It was a small venue but there were a lot of people
standing.   It was an emotional and exciting event and well worth
doing.   At that event I said again that this is going to happen that
today (Friday) we will be announcing that we are moving ahead with the purchase
and will borrow whatever necessary to make it happen.  

“Of course we
have to work hard to raise the rest of the money and in particular to pay off
the mortgage.” 

So
far $230,000 has been raised in a short fundraising campaign.  A
total of $700,000 is needed to purchase the house outright.  Next
steps will be fundraising for restoration of the house, and to create
an endowment for the continued running of the Joy Kogawa Writing Centre.

Sing Tao (April 24): story about Gung Haggis dragon boat team and the ADBF public paddling program

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Sing Tao (April 24): story about Gung Haggis dragon boat team and the ADBF public paddling program



The ADBF public paddling program is a wonderful, safe and easy way to try out dragon boat paddling.  Life jackets and instruction are provided for $2, and your signature on a waiver form.

The most frustrating thing would be to find yourself paddling with 19 other people, who have no idea what they are doing.  We pair every paddling neophyte up with an experienced paddler, as a paddle-buddy + have two boats paddle side by side, so you can see what is going on.  We also have a mini-race to give you a chance to taste the adrenaline from dragon boat racing.

Sing Tao newspaper came out to the ADBF public paddling session last week.  Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team assists with the program, providing instruction and experienced paddlers for the 30 to 40 minute paddle on False Creek from Dragon Zone, the ADBF club house.  Last week about 9 new paddlers came out to try dragon boat paddling for the first time in their lives, and they had a blast!

Some of the paddlers have enjoyed the paddling experience so much, they have asked to join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team!

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team emphasizes a multicultural atmosphere, simultaneously with fitness and fun.  The team was the 2005 winner of the David Lam Award for best representing the multicultural spirit of the at the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.

Coach Todd Wong (me), gives a short history of dragon boat racing from China to Vancouver, explaining some of the cultural and historical background of this 2000 year old activity that came to Vancouver in 1986.  Todd is an experienced coach, having won many medals coaching and racing on teams at races in Victoria, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Kelowna and Vancouver, since 1993.  He has served on the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival Race committee, as well as the CCC Dragon Boat Association Board – where he helped to found the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragonboat Race.