Category Archives: Upcoming Events

Chinese in P.E.I.: Chinese Islanders Making a Home in the New World

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Here's an interesting announcement for a new book about the history of Chinese on Prince Edward Island – Todd

September 7, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chinese
Islanders

Making
a Home in the New World

by Hung-Min Chiang

Charlottetown.  Chinese Islanders: Making a Home in the New World tells the story of some of Prince Edward Island's first Chinese settlers who came to the Island as early as 1850.  They were
subjected to the  infamous
“head tax,” as well as the more severe Chinese Immigration Act
(also known as the Chinese Expulsion Act). But through it all, they and their
descendants have largely

adapted to and succeeded in mainstream Island
society, and are proud today to be recognized as true Islanders.

Catherine G. Hennessey writes:

“From tenuous beginnings in the closing days of the 19th century
to the blossoming of a

vibrant new Chinese community in the 21st century, Chinese Islanders: Making a Home in the New World  tells the story of one of
Prince Edward Island ’s
smallest immigrant communities.”

From the book’s foreword by John Cousins:

“Hung-Min Chiang set out to write this history of the Chinese
Canadian community in Prince Edward
Island because, as he was told, “no one else
would do it.” What a daunting task it must have been. No group of
Islanders would be harder to document than these few Chinese settlers, who, for
obvious reasons, preferred to remain anonymous, and to live below the social
horizon, leading “quiet inconspicuous lives.” There were few
records, fewer accurate ones, no personal biographies for guidance, negligible
letters, and  no survivors from the
early days. Added to that was a “discontinuing of  generations,” a period of decline
between the 1940s and 1960s when the community came close to disappearing.
Nevertheless, Chiang has accomplished a series of minor miracles. These were
the realities of the Chinese community and the author does not avoid
them.”

“Rather, he recounts them with a serenity that carries with it
the sublime  sadness of the human
plight. And this, in my opinion, is the work’s great  strength.”

About the Author:

Dr. Hung-Min Chiang, originally from Taiwan ,
came to Prince Edward Island
with his family in 1967. A student of Abraham Maslow, he taught psychology at
Prince of Wales College and the University
of Prince Edward Island
until his retirement in 1991. He is fondly remembered as a favourite professor
by many. A lover of nature, all his hobbies bring him closer to the earth.

-30-

For media interviews, please contact Dr.Hung-Min Chiang, at (902) 569-3959
or by email at mchiang@eastlink.ca.

 

Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub – September 7th

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Kilts Night at Doolin's Irish Pub – September 7th
– 1st Thursday of every month.


Doolin's Irish
Pub
654 Nelson Street at Granville Street Vancouver BC

September 7th, Thursday
Music starts at 9pm.

This Thursday, we shall wear our kilts and hoist of dram of Scotch to
the end of a grand dragon boat summer.  Yes… sadly the dragon
boat season has come to an end for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat
team.  But kilts night lives on.

We have now passed kilts on to Gerard and Keng, who will wear kilts for
the very first time!  Last month, we put the kilts on Stephen
Mirowski and his visiting father – who had travelled all the way from
Thunder Bay, Ontario.  

And we look forward to seeing Christine wearing her new yellow tartan
kilt – without wearing blue jeans underneath them.  She's a bit
shy… and the “Good Chinese Girl” side of her sometimes is averse to
showing off her legs while wearing a mini-kilt.

We will also welcome Lorna, who will wear her mini-kilt out in public
for the first time, and celebrating her combined Scottish and First
Nations heritage.

I shall join my friends Bear, Raphael, and members of the Gung Haggis
Fat Choy dragon boat team.  We shall wear our kilts and recieve a
FREE pint of Guiness for our fashion choice.

Live music is performed by the Halifax Wharf Rats – a lively band
specializing in East Coast maritime tunes plus some great Celtic tinged
surprises.

See below for Kilts night related
stories on www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com

Todd's
mini kilt-night birthday at Doolin's May 11, 2006

Georgia Straight: Beats for Justice – Head Tax Hip Hop Dance for Redress

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Georgia Straight: Beats for Justice
– Head Tax Hip Hop Dance for Redress

The following was written up in the Georgia Straight highlighting the
upcoming fundraiser for Chinese head tax redress that will feature the No Luck Club.   My
friend videographer Sid Tan is no laying video images to the music
track “Our Story – Chinese Head Tax Mash-Up.”  Sid is interviewed
in the article

Georgia Straight, 31-Aug-2006
http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=20037

Arts Notes:  Beats for Justice
By John Lucas

Hip-hop and politics have always walked hand in hand, so it's no
surprise to hear that turntables and break dancing will play a part in
an upcoming event calling for redress on the issue of the head tax
that the Canadian government imposed on Chinese immigrants. The tax
was levied in 1885 and was not fully repealed until 1967. (Correction:
should read 1947)

The current federal government acknowledges that the tax was
discriminatory and has offered a $20,000 payment to each of the 20 or
so surviving head-tax payers and the approximately 250 surviving
spouses of the deceased payers. Chinese-Canadian activist groups have
argued that this measure doesn't go far enough, and they have demanded
compensation for the children of head-tax payers. Among these groups
is the Vancouver-based B.C. Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and
Descendants, which has organized a petition-signing and letter-writing
event for next Sunday (September 10). That event will feature music
from instrumental hip-hop group No Luck Club and dancing by Funk in
Da' Attic.

“Our attempt here is to move young people to get involved in this
issue of justice and honour,” said organizer Sid Chow Tan, who told
the Straight that a No Luck Club number helped inspire him to try to
get youth involved.

“No Luck Club did this tune called 'Our Story—Chinese Head Tax
Mash-Up'. And I was quite taken with it,” Tan said. “To me, it sounds
more like a five-minute radio piece. In fact, I spent all last night
laying videos in on it. I work in video, so I was getting these 20
years of video that I've done in the movement, taking video from 20
years ago and mixing it up with rallies and stuff that we've done
today. Basically, what we're attempting to do is just grow our
movement to a younger generation.

“I mean, quite frankly the Stephen Harper government has said that's it
for us, and we've said, 'Well, that's fine. Our movement is strong
enough that we'll outlive your government. We've outlived Trudeau's
government, we've outlived Mulroney's government, Chrétien's
government, so we'll outlive your government too.”

Head Tax Hip Hop for Redress in Saltwater City takes place September
10 at 10 a.m. at the Carnegie Community Centre (401 Main Street).

—

Head Tax Hip Hop for Redress in Saltwater City: No Luck Club to play at Vancouver's Carnegie Centre on Sept 10

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Head Tax Hip Hop for Redress in Saltwater City: No Luck Club to play atVancouver's Carnegie Centre on Sept 10

Here's an announcement for a fun and politically charged event for Sept 10th, at Carnegie Community Centre in Vancouver.  The
No Luck Club will play an event attended by the CCNC national president Collen Hua.

It's time that the Head Tax Redress movement took it to the streets to engage the youth, the people who have benefitted the most from growing up in a less-racist era, post-head tax, post-exclusion act, and post-systemic racism.

So far, most of the head tax redress events have been meetings, forums and protest marches that brought out the surviving people who were most affected the head tax and the exclusion act – the sons and daughters of the head tax payers, along with some grandchildren.  But Prime Minister Stephen Harper failed to include them in the redress package, because it was limited to “surviving head tax payers and spouses” – even though almost all of such people have died in the past 10 years, if not the previous 20 years when head tax redress first became an issue on parliament hill in 1984.

No Luck Club earlier this year created a riveting musical hip hop track titled “Our Story” Trevor Chan, the laptop samplist, of created a “mash-up” called “Our Story.”

It address the head tax issue and 62 years or legislated
racism.   It is an amazing aural soundscape that splices
together historical and documentary sound bites including quotes from
Martin Luther King Jr.  The juxtaposition of positive and negative
statements for racial equlality is striking. Click here to listen to it: http://newmusiccanada.com/genres/artist.cfm?Band_Id=5120

Listen to such quotes as:

“We don't want Chinamen in Canada.  This is a white man's country and white men will keep it.”

“The people of Canada do not wish to make a fundamental alteration to the character of our population”

“Large scale immigration from the Orient would change the fundamental composition of the population the  of Canada”

“He's telling us what he wants us to know.  That's his story not our story.”

“The government passed a special
legisalation which places a tax of $50 on every Chinese entering the
country.  The Head tax was raised to $100 and eventually in 1903
to $500.”

“We have suffered political
oppression, economic exploitation and social degradation.  The
government has failed us.  You can't deny that.”

Vancouver seethed with racial hatred.  An Anti-Asiatic league was formed.”

Media
Advisory – August 25, 2006

Head
Tax Hip Hop for Redress in Saltwater City:

no
luck club (NLC) and Funk In Da Attic at Carnegie
Hall!

Vancouver,
BC –  BC
Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants invites citizens to a
petition signing and letter writing dance party with music by no luck club
(NLC) and performance by Funk in Da Attic. Colleen
Hua, president of the Chinese Canadian National Council, will also be in
attendance.

Date:   Sunday, September 10, 2006

Time:  10:00am call time –
program to begin shortly after

Place:
Carnegie Community Centre Main Hall

      
401 Main Street
at Hastings, Vancouver

The
Conservative government's unilaterally imposed redress
package ignored and rejected repeated calls from head tax families for a just
and honourable redress.

no
luck club (NLC) is an instrumental hip hop group combining turntable improv with sample-based rhythms. Founded by the Chan
Brothers (Matt & Trevor), Vancouver DMC DJ champion Paul Belen (Pluskratch) joined the group in 2004.

Funk
In Da Attic is a local
recreational dance troupe with steps to put “move” into the redress
movement. They are Nicole Chubb, Gary Quon, Cathy Jupista, Julie Miller, Ikue Ueno,
Megan Hui and Hersie Init.

The
BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants are today's Canadians
on a two decade plus quest for justice and honour for
Chinese adventurers and pioneers and their families.

– 30 –

Chairman George CTV special: the Greek-Canadian who sings Mandarin Chinese like Elvis

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Chairman George CTV special: the Greek-Canadian who sings Mandarin Chinese like Elvis



Who is George Sapounidis?


George Sapounidis is a cool guy.  He is the Montreal born, Mandarin speaking, Greek-Canadian, who was featured in the CBC TVspecial “Gung Haggis Fat Choy.”  I first met George
in person last year when he came to Vancouver for a Chinese Spring
Festival concert.  We hit it off immediately and had a great time.

George loves China and Chinese people… he even volunteered to be a
translator for the Chinese Olympic team in Athens 2004.  As well,
George is a eccentric, eclectic, intercultural Canadian with the “Gung
Haggis Fat Choy” spirit, whose universal good will transcendns racial
and cultural boundaries.  Watch “Chairman George,”and I will work
on having George Sapounidis at a Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns
Chinese New Year dinner in Vancouver, Toronto… or maybe Ottawa.

CHAIRMAN GEORGE   –  Quest for the Torch

a CTV Television Documentary Film

SATURDAY August 19, 2006   7-8 PM   national broadcast  

In Canada, George is a statistician. But in China, George is Elvis…

Produced by EyeSteelFilm

Directed by DANIEL CROSS and MILA AUNG-THWIN
in association with CTV, BBC and TV2 Denmark 

Featuring the music of GEORGE SAPOUNIDIS

www.chairmangeorge.com

“heart-warming … you will be rooting for George long before it's over! ”  – The Times (London, UK)

Sterling
Feature Grand Jury Honorable Mention  ,  Silverdocs
Documentary Film Festival    –   Washington DC

“A
delightful road movie about a career statistician who dreams of
performing one day at the Athens Olympics!” – The Montreal Gazette

” A brilliant documentary ! ”   – The Montreal Mirror

“A
Troubadour-Savant…George, you are a perfect human bridge. I can’t
imagine any other candidate on the earth more perfect then you to
perform at the closing ceremonies of the Athens Olympics.”   –  CBC
Radio, Sheila Rogers

“Il
y a de ces individus qu’on croit sortis de l’imaginaire. Sapounidis en
est un. Il est pourtant reel, ce statisticien Greco-Canadien.” –  La Presse, Montreal

Closing film of the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal !  
Special Jury Award  : Canadian Filmmakers Festival , Toronto, Canada 

Special Jury Award :  Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival, Saskatchewan, Canada

Synopsis:

Produced
by EyeSteelFilm, the documentary follows George Sapounidis, a shy,
Greek-Canadian statistician and Chinese folk-singing sensation on his
quest to perform at the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympic
Games. In Canada, he is a statistician who lives with his mother. In
China, he is a pop star. George Sapounidis defies every effort at
categorization. The latest film from Daniel Cross and Mila Aung-Thwin
is a delightful portrait of this zany troubadour who regularly makes
the trip from Ottawa to Beijing to climb on stage. His bouzouki, guitar
and cell phone in hand, he sings in faultless Mandarin for a
delirious—mostly female—audience. With unquenchable optimism in the
face of adversity, this obsessive-compulsive who never quite grew up
goes for the main chance, a spot in the closing ceremonies at the
Athens Olympics. The multilingual Sapounidis, “the only Greek in the
world who can sing in Chinese,” wants to deliver his own ingenuous
lyrics as the Olympic flag is passed from Athens to Beijing. Chairman George
follows the trials and tribulations of this sensitive, eccentric man as
he beats the drum in a full-out campaign between China, Greece and
Canada.

————————————————————-

Newmindspace coming to Vancouver to party on Sky Train for August 18

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Newmindspace coming to Vancouver to party on Sky Train for August 18

Imagine
a spontaneous party of bagpipers and kilts, Chinese lion and dragon
dancers with incredible fusion bangra highland dancers.  Haggis
won ton being served on sticks.  Maybe even dragonboat go-carts
being “paddled” down the street.   It could be a rave Gung Haggis
Fat Choy party.  Okay… this is still living in my imagination –
but check out the New Mind Space details below:

From the Newmindspace website:

vancouver august 18
In
Vancouver, we are going to do something involving the SkyTrain, the
musical duo known as Woodhands, and a 200W renegade soundsystem! To see
what kinds of subway parties we throw in Toronto, check out this video.

This was sent to me by e-mail:

Newmindspace (http://www.newmindspace.com), a Toronto and NYC based

group who describe their work a interactive public art, creative

cultural interventions and urban bliss dissemination are coming to

Vancouver.



They're famous for their huge public pillow fights, bubble battles,

easter egg hunts and subway & streetcar parties. And these aren't

just any old subway party. We're talking hundreds of people, big

sound, DJs, costumes, decorations and a great time!



And they're planning a huge SkyTrain party in our fair city. It will

be totally free, all ages, and totally amazing. Word on the street

is that it'll be robot themed, in honour of our driverless trains. And

there'll also likely be a huge post-SkyTrain Party party as well.

Should make for an unforgettable evening that eclipses any of the

SkyTrain parties any of us may have been a part of.



Event details are still being worked out, but to keep on top of the

latest sign up for Vancouver event updates (including this one) at:

http://www.newmindspace.com/westcoast/index.php

What else have they doing?  See below from the Newmindspace website.


san francisco august 26
In
San Francisco, we are hoping to have a massive Bubble Battle on August
26th. To see what a bubble battle looks like, check out the video from our NYC bubble battle in June, they're a lot of fun!

More
information will become available as we get closer to our trip, so for
now, the best thing to do is subscribe to the mailing list. We can't
wait to see you there! 🙂

for more info, e-mail love
@ newmindspace.com.


Silk Road Music performing Aug 10 at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Classical Gardens

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Silk Road Music performing Aug 10 at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Classical Gardens

Silk Road Music is a very special musical ensemble featuring the duo of Qiu Xia He on pipa, and Andre Thibault on classical guitar.  They are truly one of pioneers of world fusion music in Vancouver.  I have gotten to know them over the past years, as Silk Road Music was featured in the CBC television performance special Gung Haggis Fat Choy, filmed in 2003.  Andre and Qiu Xia also performed at the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner events for 2004, and also the First Night event with me on Dec 31, 2004. 

Qui Xia and Andre have just returned from a tour in China and she sends this message:

Dear Friends:

We are just back from China and had a wonderful and very successful
time performing in Guangdong China. If you happen to have some time on
this Friday, please come down to Silk Road's concert at the Chinese
Garden, so we can share the stores with you and play some music.

For those of you who want to see some photos of JouTou in China, please
see this blog:
http://crofsblogs.typepad.com/joutou/

Concert information:
Silk Road Music
Chinese Garden concert Aug 11, 06
Qiu Xia He, Andre Thibault and Stefan Chihilka

A special celebration for Silk Road Music’’s new CD “Autumn Cloud”. The
show is focused on innovative compositions for the Pipa (Chinese lute),
Spanish guitar and many other world instruments that reflect the vast
musical experience of founder Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault gathered in
Canada and in their travels. A special guest: Stefan Cihelka will join
us with his fantastic playing on the Indian drum- tabla .

Aug 11,06
Enchanted Evenings
Silk Road Music
7:30pm
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden
578 Carrall St. Vancouver BC $15/$12 for members
Tel: 604-662-3207
www.vancouverchinesegarden.com

Qiiu xia He on Pipa, vocal
Andre Thibault on guitar, oud,hulusi, flute and percussion.
Stefan Chihika on tabla.

Qiu Xia He & Andre Thibault
Tel & Fax: 604-434-9316
E-mail:qxcloud@telus.net
www.silkroadmusic.ca

Slow-Pitch Ball Game Honours Asahi baseball team + exhibit at JCNM

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Slow-Pitch Ball Game Honours Asahi Baseball Team

Asahi Logo link to their siteFirst Annual Powell Grounds Ball Game
A Tribute to the Vancouver Asahi Baseball Team

Monday, August 7, 11:00 a.m.
Oppenheimer Park, 400 block Powell Street, Vancouver

As part of this year’s Powell Street Festival, a ball game will take 
place to celebrate the Vancouver Asahi baseball team’s legacy. This 
will be a physical and fun opportunity for communities and baseball fans to 
celebrate and learn about the Asahi baseball team on the field where 
they once played.

This is a free public event. Youth, adults, seniors and families are 
all welcome! Refreshments will be available. Please bring your own lawn 
chair. We want Asahi fans and all baseball enthusiasts to play or come 
see the game. Pre-registration is required for players.

Please contact the Japanese Canadian National Museum for more 
information or if you would like to register to play.

Tel: 604-777-7000 ext.109
E-mail: jcnm@nikkeiplace.org

Media contact:
Krysta Mukai - Events Coordinator (Summer)
Japanese Canadian National Museum
Tel: 604-777-7000, ext. 109
Fax: 604-777-7001
E-mail: jcnm@nikkeiplace.org

Vancouver Asahi Club, October 3, 1915. F.S. Fujiwara, photographer. Courtesy of the Kitagawa Family. Yuki Uno at bat, Powell Grounds, ca. 1940. Courtesy Pat Adachi.

Levelling the Playing Field: Legacy of Vancouver's Asahi Baseball
Team
October 29, 2005 – September 2, 2006

From 1914 to 1941 this talented team of Japanese Canadian baseball players
competed and won in the Vancouver senior leagues, instilling enormous
pride in a community faced with racial prejudice and inequality. The
Asahis played baseball like no others, and they were the only ethnic
Asian team in the league. Barely five feet tall, “dancing shortstop”
Roy Yamamura was incomparable racing around the bases to steal the opposition
blind. Third baseman Sally Nakamura was “home run king” while
catcher Reggie Yasui could bunt wherever he wanted, like most of the
Asahis. Long before Little League, coach Harry Miyasaki created three
tiers of junior teams to nurture talent for the Asahi brand of brain
ball. This club could win without a hit. They were legendary, and they
had a dream.

Check out this http://www.jcnm.ca/exhibits.htm


Hip, Hapa and Interculturally Happening… August 5 to 11

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Hip, Hapa and Interculturally Happening… August 5 to 11

July was so busy for me, I wasn't able to write up any H3 announcement lists…
But there are some great things happening this weekend.  I would be going to as much of them as possible… if I was in Vancouver.

But I am headed back to Kalamalka Lake in the BC Okanagan… wineries – here I come!

check out:

The Pride Parade in Vancouver….

http://www.vanpride.bc.ca/event-details.cfm?month=08&year=2006&day=6
Lots of cultural diversity, and intercultural happenings.

My friend Leora Cashe will be performing at the Pride Jazz dinner cruise on Sunday, following the parade.
http://www.leoracashe.com/schedule.html

Of Heaven and Earth
http://www.cpaf.ca/cpaf/index.html

This is the revamped original action-musical by producer Dennis Law.
It features contemporary Chinese ballet as well as Chinese ethnic
dances and martial arts.  It is pretty exciting, and you will
learn lots about Chinese culture, arts, and a classic folk tale about
two lovers.
Check out my previous reviews of:



by
Todd
on Thu 27 May 2004 01:57 PM PDT


by
Todd
on Tue 18 May 2004 11:54 PM PDT

Powell Street Festival
http://powellstfestival.shinnova.com/

The long running cultural festival celebrating Japanese-Canadian arts
and culture.  Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Oppenheimer Park on
Vancouver's Downtown Eastside/Strathcona neighborhood.

Kokuoho Rice (Linda Hoffman, Joyce Chong, Sean Gunn and John
Greenaway) will be performing at the Powell Street Festival on
Sunday at 2:30pm on mainstage. Inside scoop is Head Tax Blues
is on their playlist.

Too bad I have to miss this one.  Sean Gunn is a friend from Asian Canadian literary and Head Tax redress circles.  And once, many years ago… I accompanied Sean during a Powell Strett Festival gig.  I played my accordion to songs such as head tax blues, Canadian Railroad Tragedy, and Sukiyaki.

Festival Vancouver
www.festivalvancouver.ca/

Some great international performers coming to Vancouver such as Arturo
Sandoval, Anoushka Shankar and many many more.  Classical to
world, to jazz.
Good article in the Georgia Straight with the best picks of the Festival Vancouver, selected by founder George Laverock and Sal Ferraras.  Laverock is excited about “a vocal group called Rajaton from Finland.”  Tickets still available for Tuesday August 8 at 5pm, Christ Church Cathedral.

Sal recommends “the Anoushka
Shankar show for the opening act, which is called
Dharmakasa. It’s a trio with a particularly interesting player of the
Japanese shakuhachi [flute], Alcvin Ramos. He’s a beautiful player who
delivers some very meditative, very evocative moments.” Anouska is the sitar virtuoso daughter of musical legend Ravi Shankar, and performs August 10th at the Chan Centre.
Good article titled Anoushka Shankar Rises about her new album mixing East and West for some comtemporary World beat fusion.