Author Archives: Todd

Raymond Chan's Dec 2 press conference in Mandarin Chinese only????

Leave a reply

Raymond Chan's Dec 2 press conference in Mandarin Chinese only????


I attended the Raymond Chan press conference yesterday. They were only letting in
“journalists” and asked me for a card.  I told the office
staff that I was writing a piece for www.thetyee.ca
and gave them the card that of editor David Beers and said David had
asked me to write a piece for him.  I told his office staff that I was
there to hear Raymond Chan say why he was dealing only with the NCCC.  Then
they let me in.

The whole thing was a bit surreal because everything was spoken in
Mandarin.  I know only a few words in Mandarin “Wor shr Janada-ren
(I am Canadian)”,  “Wor bu-dong (I don't understand)”, and “Dwei
bu-shei (Excuse me/I'm sorry)” – which I repeated for Chinese media
afterwards in the parking lot.

There were two media briefings available.  One in English and one
in Chinese.  But they don't say the same things.  The English
one is basically a media advisory, and the Chinese one lists Raymond
Chan's views in  point form

During the Q&A period, One writer for the Sing Tao got into a
verbal exchange with Chan – I am sure she was challenging him on some
of the points, because he got very defensive.

Basically Chan was saying that all the Chinese Canadian organizations
were on side with him, but a few minority groups were speaking
up.  He also accused these individuals of being supported or
influenced by the NDP and Chinese media commentator Gabriel Yiu.

Sid Tan (Co-op Radio, Saltwater City TV) did ask a question in
English.  Tan asked if each of the 280 “supporting organizations”
wrote statements of support.  Chan said no – he did not have that
information.  I know personally that many of the organizations
such as the Chinese Canadian veterans are apolitical and are only
asking for an apology.  Some of the organization names are
repeated such as the Chinese Freemasons, and the Dart Coon Club –
because they are translations.

It has also since been revealed in the Chinese media that Kitty Ma of
the CCC, signed the agreement with ACE without taking it to the CCC
Board, so some of these organizations are apparently upset that their
names were used without their permission.  Chan said that he had
the signatories of the Vancouver Chinese Cultural Centre, Toronto
Chinese Cultural Centre and Chinese Benevolent Association and some
others, which represented those 280 groups.

After the Q&A period – Raymond's campaign/communications
coordinator came up to me to say hello.  Surprise!  It was
Ian MacLeod – president of Clan MacLeod Societies of Canada.  Ian
is a regular at my Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners for the past 3 years
and he is a very nice guy.  He even helped me find out how I can
register a “McWong” tartan.

MacLeod quickly introduced Raymond to me and told him I am the creator
of Gung Haggis Fat Choy.  Raymond immediately acknowledged that he
already knew me, and has previously attended a Gung Haggis Fat Choy
dinner.  Raymond shook my hand and said to me “I am sorry I cannot
give you what you ask for.”  He was very quick with that apology –
although all I had said to him so far was “Hello.”

Hmmm…. maybe he got my letter to him about the CBC Radio interview
with Gabriel Yiu and Raymond Chan – the one that I posted on my
website, www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com and sent to all the Lower Mainland
MP's + party leaders.

After MacLeod had hustled Raymond Chan out to their next meeting, Sid
and I talked with some of the Chinese media reporters.  Our
mandarin is pretty well non-existent and we wanted to know what they
had questioned Raymond Chan about.  Before I knew it, they had
their tape recorders out and were asking us questions.  Gee-
whiz… I didn't expect that!  It sure was nice that they were
able to speak in English, and tell me what Raymond had said during the
press conference as they asked me my views on the issues.

I did point out that it was strange that everything was done in
Mandarin and there was no Cantonese or English translation – because I
thought that English and French were Canada's two official languages,
and Cantonese was the language of the original Chinese pioneers who had
to pay the head tax from 1895 to 1923.

I shared that when my great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan came to
Canada in 1896, the Chinese Methodist Church helpe to teach the
immigrant Chinese how to speak English.  Rev. Chan Yu Tan
encouraged the family to learn Canadian ways, and we have been doing
that for 7 generations.

I told them I didn't understand why Raymond Chan was giving money to
many immigrant societies, because it was the head tax payers and their
descendants who paid with their blood and sweat for many years in order
to help repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act, and to pave the way for new
immigrants to come to Canada.  It is like robbing Peter to pay
Paul.

more later… I have to write my Tyee opinion piece now…

Compensate Chinese immigrants fairly: Vancouver Sun's Daphne Bramham

Leave a reply

Compensate Chinese immigrants fairly: Vancouver Sun's Daphne Bramham

Friday » December 2 » 2005

 

Compensate Chinese immigrants fairly


Botched attempt at redress has exposed a misunderstanding about the Chinese-Canadian community
 
Daphne Bramham
Vancouver Sun

Friday, December 02, 2005

There is no other group that Canada tried as hard to keep out as the Chinese.

For 62 years, a parade of governments formulated and enforced laws to
make it difficult and then virtually impossible for Chinese people to
immigrate.

And for more than 20 years, Chinese-Canadians have actively sought
redress for the policies that date back to 1885, when Canada imposed a
head tax on Chinese immigrants.

That was enforced until July 1, 1923 — Dominion Day — when it was
replaced by the Chinese Immigration Act, which should more properly
have been called the exclusion act.

The exclusion of Chinese was only repealed in 1947 under pressure from
Britain, which needed ethnic Chinese soldiers for the war in Asia.
Between 1923 and 1947, only 50 people were allowed to immigrate from
China.

The policies were also cruel. Families ended up being torn apart, in
many cases irrevocably. Not all of the men whose families had sent them
ahead to what was called Golden Mountain could ever earn enough to pay
the head tax required to bring their wives and families.

The tax started at $50, was increased in 1900 to $100 and then to $500 in 1903.

The legacy has been documented by writer Denise Chong in The
Concubine's Children: Portrait of a Family Divided and in a documentary
by Vancouver filmmaker Colleen Leung.

Over the years, while the Canadian government was actively recruiting
Europeans, including my ancestors, with the promise of free Prairie
land, it collected $23 million from 82,000 Chinese. Unlike my
ancestors, the Chinese immigrants were denied the full rights of
citizenship until 1947.

Earlier this year, Paul Martin's Liberal government set aside $25
million to redress not only the wrongs done to ethnic Chinese, but for
Italians, Ukrainians and Germans interned during the Second World War.
Of that, $12.5 million was earmarked for Chinese-Canadians.

That's a tiny fraction of what the government collected in head taxes.
Using the Bank of Canada's inflation adjuster, that $23 million
collected in 1923 is equal to $2.7 billion in current dollars.

But no one was asking for anywhere near that amount.

Since 1984, the Chinese Canadian National Council has lobbied for
redress. It has registered 4,000 head-tax payers and their families and
has consistently asked for two things — an apology and individual
compensation.

It based its request on a similar agreement reached in 1988 between
Canada and Japanese-Canadians to redress their internment during the
Second World War.

The two things the council wanted were the two things the Liberals said they would not negotiate.

So, Multiculturalism Minister Raymond Chan bypassed the council and
began negotiating with the National Congress of Chinese Canadians. The
congress was founded in 1991 by Chan, recently elected Vancouver school
trustee Don Lee and others, to play down Chinese human rights' abuses
including the Tiananmen Square student massacre in 1989 and improve
business relations.

Since then, the congress has provided political support to Liberal candidates, including Chan at his recent nomination meeting.

Congress president Ping Tan — a Malaysian-born Chinese who came to
Canada as a student in 1968 — quickly agreed to a $12.5-million
settlement, even though some of the congress board members criticized
the deal because it contains no apology and no individual compensation.

Last weekend — just days before the Liberal government was forced to
call an election — Prime Minister Paul Martin had planned to to sign
the deal at a Vancouver conference the congress was holding to talk
about what it would do with the money. The conference was paid for with
a $100,000 grant from Chan's department.

Martin didn't sign the deal because of growing pressure from groups
like the CCNC, the National Association of Japanese-Canadians, the
National Anti-Racism Council, the Urban Alliance on Race Issues and
prominent Canadians including Margaret Atwood, June Callwood, Shirley
Douglas, Stephen Lewis, Joy Kogawa, Naomi Klein and Toronto Mayor David
Miller.

Instead, after brushing past protesters, including a few people in
their 90s who had paid the head tax, Martin signed a $2.5-million
agreement with the congress.

“There is much anger and frustration at the federal government,” says
Sid Tan, the grandson of a head-tax payer, a director of the Chinese
Canadian National Council and head of the B.C. Coalition of Head Tax
Payers, Spouses and Descendants.

“His [Chan's] proposed agreement with the NCCC is unethical and
humiliates the very people who overcame the racist legislation to allow
him to serve in public office.”

The tragedy in this botched attempt at reconciliation is that Canada
has had more than the lifetime of most people to apologize and give
back the money to those to paid the tax.

Vancouver resident Charlie Quon is one of them. He's 98. Another
Vancouverite, Chung Shee Quon, is 100 and still waiting to get a refund
of the money her husband was forced to pay.

They deserve the money. They and their families deserve an apology.

For now, the January election has put on hold the deal that would have
handed millions to a group that has no connection to the head-tax
payers and their families.

The Liberals' botched attempt at reconciliation has exposed a deep
misunderstanding about the Chinese-Canadian community and about how to
redress human rights' abuses. It could cost them votes, and it should.

But after the election, the government must finally right the terrible wrong done to Chinese immigrants and their families.

It must negotiate with the people directly affected. And it must be willing to apologize and compensate them fairly.

To do anything else only adds further shame to a shameful history.

dbramham@png.canwest.com

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

CHINESE CANADIAN GROUPS REJECT LIBERAL'S STANCE ON HEAD TAX REDRESS

Leave a reply

image

CHINESE
CANADIAN GROUPS REJECT LIBERAL'S STANCE ON HEAD TAX REDRESS 

TORONTO/VANCOUVER,   Dec. 2, 2005:
Chinese
Canadian groups are forcing Minister of State for Multiculturalism Raymond Chan
to explain his decision to award $2.5 million to one group that has divided the
community.

 “He knows that he
made the wrong decision. He knows that he has alienated half of his
constituency and now he’s trying to win them over with more
speeches,” says Susan Eng, co-chair of the Ontario Coalition of Chinese
Head Tax Payers and Families.

It
was the same thing when he kept saying to us that he wouldn't talk to
us if we refused to accept his conditions,” Eng said from
Toronto.  “Saying the same over and over again does not change the
reality of the situation,” Eng said.  “Justice has not been served
and Minister Chan cut out everyone else to favour his political
friends.”

Opposition
has been growing to the Liberals secretly negotiating the $2.5 million
deal with political cronies in the National Congress of Chinese
Canadians – to the exclusion of legitimate representatives of head tax
payers.  The deal was announced within hours of last Thursday's
no-confidence motion in Parliament.

This
is the most important election issue for Chinese Canadians across the
country,” says Todd Wong, spokesperson for the B.C. Coalition of Head
Tax Payers and Descendants, in Vancouver.  “It is galvanizing the
Chinese Canadian vote, particularly young voters, ahead of the
election.”

 “It is shameful that the Liberals
are trying to relegate this important issue concerning social and civil justice
for Chinese Canadians to the level of political payouts to their
friends,” he added.

The
B.C. and Ontario coalitions, with support from the Chinese Canadian
National Council, have been working together for the rights and redress
of the Chinese Canadian community over 62 years of legislated
racism.  A head tax was put on Chinese immigrants, from 1885 to
1923, during the building of our country, and then was followed by the
federal government imposing the Chinese Exclusion Act, which lasted for
24 years, separating families and loved ones, and setting the basis for
further racial discrimination.

–
30 –

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Susan Eng, co-chair, Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families

416-960-0312

Todd Wong, spokesperson, B.C. Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Descendants,

604-240-7090

CCNC: Chinese Canadians Press Head Tax Redress Issue

Leave a reply

image
Chinese
Canadian National Council

For
Immediate Release: December 2, 2005

 
Chinese
Canadians Press Head Tax Redress Issue

TORONTO. The Chinese
Canadian National Council (CCNC) today called on all Party leaders to make
known their position regarding Head Tax redress during the election campaign.
CCNC and groups including the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and
Descendants and the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax payers and Families
have organized a number of public events to protest the Government’s
failure to resolve this issue. Instead, Multiculturalism Minister Raymond Chan
chose to sign the Head Tax agreement (Chinese Canadians' Contribution to
Building Canada) on November 24, 2005. “We oppose this deal because it
offers no justice to the people who actually paid the Head Tax and suffered
under the Chinese Exclusion Act,” Colleen Hua, CCNC National President said
today. “The Liberal Government chose to ignore the 4000 redress claimants
who have registered with CCNC over the past 20 years. The 1 million strong
Chinese Canadian community, our allies and supporters will take note of the
various Party positions when voting on January 23rd.”

“I’m
amazed that Minister Chan would bungle this file so badly,” Sid Tan,
Co-ordinator of BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants.
“Some of the groups listed in the Government’s November 24th
news release are unaware that they are even on the list. Can the Prime Minister
please inform us how many groups have actually sent in a letter of support to
the Government?”

“The
Government has failed in its due diligence and this is how we end up with
Adscam,” Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director said today.
“Canadians know better: we should never be seen to be profiting from
racism. The new Government should enter into a genuine process of
reconciliation to redress the Head Tax and Exclusion Act, especially now that
so few Head Tax payers and surviving spouses are alive.”

CCNC is a national
organization with 27 chapters across Canada. CCNC is joined in the
campaign for redress of the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act by the Ontario
Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families, BC Coalition of Head Tax
Payers Spouses and Descendants, Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance, the
Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, and Metro
Toronto Chinese and South East Asian Legal Clinic.

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director at
(416) 977-9871

Sid Tan, (604) 433-6169; (604) 783-1853

The Land Cconservancy joins community efforts to save Joy Kogawa's childhood home

Leave a reply


TLC Joins Community Efforts to Save Joy Kogawa's Childhood Home

THE CAMPAIGN IS UNDERWAY: “118 DAYS, AND COUNTING”

December 2, 2005

VANCOUVER, BC – Community efforts to save Joy Kogawa’s
childhood home from the wrecking ball moved into a new phase today as
The Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) has agreed to lead the
campaign to acquire the house and secure its protection.

“The Kogawa house is a very important part of British
Columbia’s heritage,” said TLC’s Executive Director Bill Turner, “and
we are determined to see it protected.  As of today, we have only 118
days to raise the funds needed to achieve this.  We will need to raise
$1.25 million to ensure the future of this site, and we’ll be getting
to work immediately.”

The Kogawa house is located in the Marpole neighbourhood of
Vancouver, and was the childhood home of noted Canadian author Joy
Kogawa.  She and her family were removed from the home in 1942 as part
of the Government’s policy of internment of Canadians of Japanese
ancestry during World War II.” Kogawa’s celebrated novel Obasan
is a powerful and heart-rending story of that internment and features
the house prominently as part of her childhood recollections.  It has
been listed by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the 100 most important Canadian books ever written.

Inspired by the Save Kogawa House Committee, many community
groups such as the Vancouver Heritage Foundation, Heritage Vancouver
and the Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture and other cultural
organizations like the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Federation of
BC Writers have come together to support the protection of Kogawa
House.  On November 3 they were able to convince the City of Vancouver
to delay a demolition permit on the house for 120 days (effective
November 30) to give the community time to raise the funds to buy it. 
This followed the symbolic planting at City Hall of a graft from the
cherry tree at Kogawa House, as Mayor Larry Campbell proclaimed Obasan Cherry Tree Day on November 1.

“I am so touched by the way the community has rallied to protect
this house that holds such symbolic importance for me – and for so many
others,” said Joy Kogawa.  “I just wonder when I'm going to wake up
from this dream of miracles.”

Committee spokesperson Ann-Marie Metten said “We are delighted
that The Land Conservancy is taking on this project.  As British
Columbia’s National Trust they have the expertise to know what needs to
be done and the ability to do it.  They have a great record of success
in similar projects around the Province and we all believe that by
working together we will be successful here too.”

TLC’s Turner said that the fundraising campaign is underway. 
“We are calling on everyone who has been moved by Joy Kogawa’s writing
to contribute to saving the house.  Your contribution will not only
recognize and honour Joy’s accomplishments but will also provide the
opportunity for a writers-in-residence program that will enable a new
generation of writers to be inspired by her work.  We are also calling
on everyone who has been touched by Canada’s past treatment of
communities such as the Japanese-Canadian community.  This house will
stand as a symbol of the wrongs that were committed in the past, but
also as a symbol of what a community can achieve when it pulls
together.”

Donations can be made to The Land Conservancy through our website at

www.conservancy.bc.ca, or by calling our Lower Mainland Office at (604) 733-2312 or our Head Office in Victoria at (250) 479-8053.

 

Contacts:   For TLC   Bill Turner   (250) 213-1090
  Tamsin Baker   (604) 722-2313
 
  For the Save Kogawa House Committee
  Anne-Marie Metten   (604) 263-6586
  Todd Wong   (604) 240-7090
  Anton Wagner   (416) 863-1209

Dialogues of the Carmelites: Not your ordinary opera – but extraordinary

Leave a reply

Dialogues of the Carmelites: Not your ordinary opera – but extraordinary


By Francis Poulenc

Vancouver Opera

November 26, 29, December 1 & 3, 2005

All performances 7:30 pm  Queen Elizabeth Theatre



Conductor
                Jonathan Darlington

Director   
                Tazewell Thompson   


Blanche de la Force    Kathleen Brett


Prioress   
                Judith Forst


Madame Lidoine        Measha Brueggergosman

Marie
Mere                Claire
Primrose          


Constance                 Nathalie Paulin



I walked out of Vancouver Opera’s 2005 serving of Dialogues of the
Carmelites simply amazed.  It was a production you either loved or
hated. It pushed buttons. It wasn’t traditional. It was inspiring. It
was beautiful. It made you think. There was no love story between a man
and a woman.



There were no familiar songs that would ever appear on Opera’s greatest
hits.  But it provided extraordinary showcase performances for
Judith Forst, Kathleen Brett, Measha Bruggergosman and Claire
Primrose.  How strange it is to see an opera where all the main
characters are women, and where men play only secondary and supporting
roles. But while there are no sexy tunes between men and women, there
are many arias that deal with the relationship of spirit and to
God. 


It is 1789, the dawn of the French Revolution.  After an incident
in which her carriage is surrounded by The by mobs fin the street, a
young agitated aristocratic woman named Blanch de la Force decides to
join the Carmelite Order seeking refuge from both her family and the
social turmoil happening in France. 

Blanche discovers an inner
journey that is challenged once again by inside forces when she
befriends a fellow initiate named Constance who shares with Blanche
that they will die together.  Blanche is again challenged
when  she is
present at the death of the Pioress, who wails that Death is ugly,
unforgiving and unspiritual. Soon after, outside forces come to play
when the
New French Republic orders that all Religious Orders become outlawed,
and the nuns are forced to leave their home. It is at this point that
Blanche flees the convent to find refuge as a servant in an
aristocratic house.


Judith Forst sings a knock-out performance as the Prioress,
while sitting in her death bed.  Kathleen Brett readily
captured
the agitated psychological state of Blanche de la Force, although her
voice was weak at points – perhaps due to playing Blanche's weak state
of mind, because in Act 2 & 3, as Blanche matures psychologically
in her convictions, her voice becomes stronger.  Nathalie Paulin
provided a clear and calm
foil as Constance, to Brett’s Blanche.  And when finally Measha
Bruggergosman came on stage in the 2nd Act, her voice and movement had
so much presence it was hard not to be enthralled.


This is
not a “pretty opera” despite its beatific moments where the nuns pledge
themselves to martyrdom.  It is indeed a psychological drama that
questions our own relationship to spirit, heroism, totalitarianism,
religious order and self-sacrifice.  While watching I could not
help but compare the exiling of the nuns from their convent to the
internment of the Japanese-Canadians in 1942, which was nicely explored
in Vancouver Opera's production of Naomi's Road. 
Nor could I not draw comparison to the Vancouver Opera's past
production of Beethoven's only opera Fidelio, also set during the
French Revolution.

The final climatic scene is difficult to tear one's eyes away
from.  Here is a spoiler – but good to know as the real story was
first published by Marie Mere as a memoir.  Despite first
suggesting martyrdom to her fellow nuns, it is she alone who somehow
survives the imprisionment of the nuns, and their final walk to the
guillotine.  Musically it is very powerful, as the cast sings
Salve Regina, each one walks up, across and finally off-stage,
one  by one, until you hear the metalic sound of a
guilotine.  The choir of voices becomes smaller one by one until
only Constance remains.  It is then that Blanche appears to hold
hands with her friend Constance and to fulfil Constance's vision that
they would die together.



Here was a modern opera written by Francis Poulenc, sung in French, set
during the French revolution, about Carmelite nuns – and directed by
African-American theatre and opera director Tazewell Thompson.  As
a 9-year old boy, Thompson was sent by his grandparents to live in the
convent of the Sisters of St. Dominic, in Blauvelt, N.Y. where he spent
six years.  He says he learned Gregorian chants before he ever
knew pop, jazz, folk or opera music.  What an extraordinary
experience to learn and develop a relationship with a spiritual diety,
as well as evolving one’s own spiritual development!  It makes
sense that Thompson was asked to help create this particular production
first with Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera.

Poulenc's music is indeed both beautiful and spiritual. I was moved by
its thoughtful passages, and found myself humming Stravinsky's Infernal Dance of King Katschei
from the Firebird Suite.  As well, I found myself thinking of
Gershwin's American in Paris, and Porgy and Bess.  It was not a
surprise then to read in the progam notes that Poulenc named Stravinsky
as one of his greatest influences, as well as Gershwin.


Donald Eastman’s set design is beautiful in its simplicity.  A
simple wall, stands halfway back on the stage, creating the interior of
the Church.  Muted light enters through a high window.  At
scence changes the pillars come forward to become walls, and to create
individual rooms.  Later they recede, and the lighting changes to
create
and exterior scene.  The lighting changes again, and it is another
scene in the Church, this time the harsh early light of morning. 
The walls move again, and the nuns are in a prison cell.



Classical music has always been kind to colour-blind casting, as
opposed to theatre or film. Casting New Brunswick born Afro-Canadian
Measha Bruggergosman has absolutely no negative impact.  In fact,
I think it speaks loudly about the multicultural ease that opera moves
with.  The opera audience listens to French, German, Italian
easily, and there has even been an opera now in Cree.  The
settings are from around the world such as China in Vancouver Opera’s
production of Turandot.  I look forward to the January 2007 production
of Mozart’s Magic Flute reconstructed with a First Nations theme blending
western and First Nations traditions together and designed with a team of First Nations artists.


In the end, it is the inspiration of the performances that moves us.





check out these reviews and links

Dialogues of the Carmelites

Georgia Straight review by Jessica Werb

Divine inspiration behind Vancouver Opera's latest

Vancouver Courier Review by Louise Phillips

All Praise to the singing nuns

Globe & Mail review by Elissa Poole

Religious Reflections

Georgia Straight interview with director Tazewell Thompson by Colin Thomas



Vancouver Opera Insight Articles

Facing the World Inside the Walls

Notes on the production of Dialogues of the Carmelites
by Stage Director Tazewell Thompson
Measha!
by Doug Tuck
Francis Poulenc, Graceful Composer

by Doug Tuck

Hearing the voice of Grace, Poulenc's Musical Style

by David Shefsiak

St. Andrew's Day – Gung Haggis Fat Choy style

Leave a reply


St. Andrew's Day – Gung Haggis Fat Choy style

St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.  St Andrew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples and
he lived and worked as a fisherman in Galilee. He was the brother of Peter,
another of Christ's disciples.

A few days ago… Maggie Shiels of the BBC Radio Scotland program “Scotland Licked”
asked me if I had any plans for St. Andrew's Day.  I had to
confess that I hadn't thought about it.  But I promised I would
celebrate now that she had brought it up.

So… how did Toddish McWong celebrated St. Andrew's Day?  By
forgetting to wear my kilt – but with the freezing temperatures and
yesterday's snowfall still hanging around the upper elevations, I
didn't dare. 

St. Andrew was a fisherman, so for dinner I ate fish.  Well actually it was sushi, and it was during a meeting for the Save Kogawa House committee.  Next I went to see the musical show celebrating the music and dance of South Africa, called Umoja,
“the spirit of togetherness.”  Amazing! Filled with incredible
songs, drums, music and dance… I will write my review later.

The most important thing I did on St. Andrew's Day was go to my favorite drinking establishment in Vancouver – Doolin's Irish Pub,
where we celebrate “Kilts Night” on the first Saturday of each month.
My buddy Rod and his brother Rick were my drinking partners as we
celebrated with Guinness.  We had the Irish Nachos made with
potato chips… covered with cheese, sour cream, onions, diced
tomatoes…


Doolin's is fun – the waitresses all wear short plaid skirts, and I
recieved greetings from Evan the manager, Christine Van, the promotions
manager, and Jenny our waitress.
Bear,Me, Dallas and Raphael at Kilts Night

Vancouver really doesn't celebrate St. Andrew's Day.  There's a mention in the Georgia Straight
by Jurgen Goethe about a limited release Scottish Ale by Granville
Island Breweries.  A few of the local Scottish societies are
having St. Andrew's Day dinners.  But nobody's invited me
yet.  Maybe they're afraid I might bring my accordion.

It was way back in 1955 on St. Andrew's Day in 1955,
21 Scottish Canadians groups finally opened the United Scottish
Cultural Centre
at Fir and 12th Avenue in Vancouver. (In July, 1986, the centre would
move into a new home at 8886 Hudson in Marpole.)  Apparently there
was a party there on Nov 26th, Saturday Night – but nobody told
me. 
– Joe McDonald on flute
Mad Celts was providing the entertainment – and Joe McDonald band leader is my regular piper for Gung Haggis Fat Choy…. and he didn't tell me!

Toddish McWong on BBC Radio Scotland: Check it out on-line

Leave a reply

Toddish McWong on BBC Radio Scotland –
Check it out on-line

 
“Toddish McWong” or in Canadian, Todd Wong, is featured on BBC Radio Scotland on the radio Scotland website. 

Just click on programs – go to “Scotland Licked” – then wait awhile
until you hear the voice of host Maggie Shiels.  Listen to the
introductions where she talks about finding me in Canada – then click
on the 15 minute fast forward button. I will be heard very very soon….

The interview explores the origins of my Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner event, and the haggis-Chinese fusion food that we have created for it.

The crew said that I definitely had
a “Canadian accent” – Funny because my girlfriend said that she loved
“Maggie's” liting “Scottish accent.”

St. Andrew's Day is in honour of the Patron Saint of Scotland – that's
the reason Maggie came looking for me – to find out what I had done
with “their haggis”.  Simply wrapped it in won ton wrappings and
added waterchestnuts, deep fried  and dipped in sweet and sour
sauce.  I also describe the haggis lettuce wrap.

Then Maggie asked what I had done to the Robbie Burns poem – “Address
to the Haggis”?  I told her that we “updated” it… and proceeded
to “rap” it.  I think for the January 22nd, I will have performer
Rick Scott sing along with me to “The Haggis wRap!”

Slainte!
Happy St. Andrew's Day (January 30th)



Chinese Head Tax: Protest in Vancouver Chinatown

Leave a reply


Chinese Head Tax: Protest in Vancouver Chinatown


We chanted loud and proud.  We walked up Pender St and down Keefer
St.  We were interviewed by radio, TV and newspaper
journalists.  We waved at the Primeminister. We were ordinary
Canadians who just happened to be Chinese.  We were descendants of
head tax payers and we were supporters of a cause.  We were senior
citizens, we were Baby Boomers, and we were Generation X.  We were
all asking for an apology and for redress.

Somehow on Saturday, I ended up being a protest organizer.  I have
never done this before.  Yes, I have organized  Chinese
Robbie Burns dinners for 600, and organized dragon boat races for
thousands.  I have been an advocate for mental health, cancer
programs, Terry Fox Runs, dragon boat and Chinese Canadian issues – but
never before have I picked up a megaphone and urged the crowd to chant
“Apologize Now” – nor direct a crowd in a peaceful demonstration when
the Prime Minister was arriving at an event.

I woke up Saturday morning, and went down to Home Depot to buy some
correplast to make placards.  I arrived at the Chinese Cultural
Centre courtyard at 10:45am and Sid Tan, shouted out “The power of
two!” to onlooking media types.  I immediately asked Sid for the
markers he promised and started making signs, as Sid would shout out
“The power of Three”, and “Now we are Four!”  Our crowd would grow
steadily to 50, then 60, and more. People would bring banners and signs
saying “BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers and Descendants”, “Head Tax
Redress is only Fair”, and “NCCC Doesn't Speak for Me.”

My signs were little history lessons which said:

In
2004, the United Nations asked Canada to apologize and make reparations
for individual head tax payers and descendants.  Canada has
NOT?  Why ?

Chinese Head Tax

1885 – $50

1903 – $500

1923 to 1947- Exclusion

2005 – Apology FREE!

Forgiveness and Love is Forever!

A – Actual

C – Canadians

E – are NOT excluded

Redress for Head Tax Payers

and Descendants Now!

It was great to see so many people out on Saturday.  Lots of
cameraderie despite not being able to speak English or Cantonese to
everybody… but it didn't matter… there were lots of smiles. 
We tried our best to translate English and Cantonese for each
other.  We shared our stories and we helped each other out.

Vancouver Sun
took pictures.  Epoch Times, Sing Tao and World Journal all showed
up at the Chinese Cultural Centre courtyard.  There were security
guards at the CCC Multipurpose Hall who did not let our Coalition in
the doors.  the NCCC had invited many Chinese community
organizations and their members from across Canada – but they did not
invite our group or the Chinese Canadian National Congress which had
registered over 4000 individual head tax payers and descendants. 
So we protested and we asked Minister of Multiculturalism Raymond Chan
to come speak with us and answer our questions.

Lots of onlookers came by and asked us questions.  We explained the
facts.  They said they sympathized with us.  We saw some of the
conference goers peering out at us from behind the doors.


We spontaneously decided to take it to the streets and marched up
Pender St, across Main St, then down Keefer St. and back to the CCC
Courtyard.  All the while a Global TV cameraman filmed us and
interviewed Sid Tan – event organizer. 

We decided to take a little break and get some buns and water for
everybody.  This is when the police arrived and started asking us
what we were doing.  Very calmly and politely we told them, as we
continued updating our signs in anticipation of the Prime Minister's
arrival.  We changed some of the signs to read “Liberals Sold us
out!”  “PM Martin breaks his promises.” 

In front of the SUCCESS front, I was interviewed by
Toronto Star and CKNW 98 Radio.  Sid was interviewed by many
more…
CBC television was there… The PM's security tried to move us back
from the front entrance and off to the side -but we pretty well held
our ground. More and more people showed up.  People I never expected to see in
a protest.  People from many aspects of the community.  Very
respectable people.  And we shared our signs, smiled and chanted
some more.

We moved to better line up along the street and make sure the PM saw our newly renovated signs when his limosine pulled up.

When Prime Minister Paul Martin did show up, there was a lion dance with drums banging
loudly.  PM Martin was quickly hustled into the SUCCESS building
where he shook hands with boy scouts then went into the meeting to
speak to the NCCC and the organizations they had gathered to highlight
their ACE program for redress – which neither apologizes nor gives
individual reparation.

Outside we chant some more, sign up more names on the petition,
exchange phone numbers.  I grab the megaphone and thank everybody
for coming.  I announce that “We were interviewed by the Vancouver
Sun, Toronto Star, Global TV, Ming Pao, Sing Tao, Fairchild and many
more.  We have demonstrated that we are a community.  We have
asked for apology and redress.  And we have been heard! 
Congratulations everybody!”

It was an exhilerating day…
I hope some pictures of the event come our way soon….

See Alex Mah's short video film of the event:

Calling for a Just and Honourable Redress  By Alex Mah



picture:  PM Paul Martin arrives amidst protestors in Vancouver ChinatownVancouver, British Columbia



Film Synopsis

On November 26, 2005, government compliant groups met at the Chinese
Cultural Centre in Vancouver to put forward a “no apology, no compensation”
agreement-in-principle between the National Congress of Chinese Canadians
and the Liberal federal government represented by Multiculturalism Minister
Raymond Chan.

Individuals and community groups, representing head-tax payers, their
spouses, descendants and supporters organized a leafletting and information
line at the conference and subsequent photo opportunity attended by Prime
Minister Paul Martin at the SUCCESS complex in Chinatown.

Head Tax Protest: Redress: and a good time was had by us…Saltwater City reporting

Leave a reply


Head Tax Protest: Redress: and a good time was had by us…Saltwater City reporting

Sid Chow Tan is the organizer of the BC Coalition of BC Head Tax Payers
and Descendants.  He wrote this e-mail describing Saturday's
protest outside the NCCC conference
at the Chinese Cultural Centre. This was the conference where the NCCC
had flown their members from across Canada and put them up in hotels
with money from a $100,000 grant.  Basically photo ops with
Raymond Chan and Prime Minister Paul Martin. Hopefully they don't use
the head tax redress payments for their conferences and organizational
costs.

Sid writes below:

Yo all

Simply,
the soul-suckers could not face us. The Prime Minister did not glance
at us. The Multiculturalism Minister and National Congress people snuck
out other doors. Set-up started at 10:30am. We remained together at the
CCC square, picking up numbers. A half an hour into leafletting, we
were a hundred and more. I'm hoping photos will start coming in.

We
could not attend the NCCC meeting and so held our  own. Placards
appeared. After occupying the square for an hour, the group
spontaneously decided on walk through Chinatown with Global TV. We went
up Pender onto Main, down Keefer and back to the square.

This
was a visual feast and galvanizing moment. We took up a collection and
got buns and water, Some socializing and gabbing and a decision was
made to welcome the Prime Minister at 2:00pm at SUCCESS. The group
halved to the hardy.

Then somehow, we started picking up people, practised our chanting and
started to have fun. If nothing else, it was already a successful day. 

At SUCCESS, the media following the PM started showing up. We
stared to suck up coverage with chanting and our numbers. Then a big
loud lion dance.

The PM was inside in three eye blinks,
looking straight ahead. There was quite a crowd by now. We spent
another half hour petition signing, answerings the public's question
and doing alot of smiling and laughing.

The day exceeded my
expectations by ten-fold. We got the names and numbers of a lot of
supporters. Lot's of multi-tasking. I can't begin to thank all the
people.

Our
banner looked good and most were feeling fine. We tried to do group
building and definitely sucked up media. At our level of organisation,
much more can be and will be done. We can have much hope and
inspiration at what our seniors and their families accomplished today.
This is only the end of the beginning. The legislation lasted over
three generations. It may take that long for a just and honourable
redress.

The subject line says it all. More later.

Take care. anon Sid