Marty Chan – a “banana in China” or Language Barrier: Great Wall

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Marty Chan is a playwright, radio drama writer, and a children's fiction writer.  He wrote the “hilarious” play “Mom, Dad, I'm Living With a White Girl.”  He is also the author of Mystery of the Graffiti Ghoul, and Mystery of the Frozen Brains.

I interviewed Marty 10 years ago, when Firehall Arts Centre first produced “Mom, Dad, I'm Living With a White Girl.”  Marty really nailed the experience of multigenerational Chinese Canadians dealing with inter-racial relationships and also with traditional Chinese parents.  Here's my interview with Marty, written for the Peak, student newspaper at SFU: 19/02/96 — Arts: Marty Chan

Language barrier: the Great Wall

Marty Chan, Special to The Journal

Published: Friday, September 15, 2006

Never trust family. Like mafia godfathers, they cut deals that result in someone sleeping with the fishes.

I
learned this lesson the hard way when my Hong Kong aunt made me an
offer I couldn't refuse. She had heard that I was planning to visit
China and insisted that she book my travel plans. She claimed she could
find me the best deal on tour packages. I couldn't offend her because
she had also insisted that I stay in her spare room when I passed
through Hong Kong. I gave her the green light to book my itinerary.

My
aunt crowed about the deal she had found: a five-day excursion to
Beijing that cost half of what I would have paid if I booked through a
Canadian travel agent. I discovered one of the reasons for the bargain
the instant I joined the tour group. My thrifty aunt had booked me on
an all-Cantonese-speaking tour.

Over the years, I had lost most
of my Chinese. I remembered mostly swear words, and I used them all up
when I learned the truth. I asked the tour co-ordinator if there was
any way I could book myself on an English-speaking tour. He asked very
slowly and loudly in Cantonese, “Do you speak any Chinese?”

I
waggled the so-so gesture and explained that while I could understand
some Cantonese I could only speak enough to get me in trouble. The
co-ordinator informed me that the tour guide in Beijing might know some
English, but he wouldn't know until we got there. When I asked for my
money back, he spewed the only English he knew: “No money back.”……

Read more Language barrier: the Great Wall

Vancouver Opera: Naomi's Road to perform in Ottawa at Canadian War Museum

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VANCOUVER OPERA

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 6,
2006                                         

Media
Contact: Doug Tuck, Vancouver
Opera 604-331-4823

dtuck@vancouveropera.ca

Vancouver Opera presents

at the Canadian
War Museum
in Ottawa

its acclaimed opera for young
audiences

Naomi’s Road

A
touching drama of family, home, and cross-cultural understanding

 

 

Vancouver,
BC ~ After inspiring nearly 50,000
children in schools and community venues throughout British
Columbia , in southern Alberta ,
and in Washington
State , Vancouver
Opera’s acclaimed opera for young audiences and their families, Naomi’s Road, continues to resonate in
profound ways.  From November 1 through
12, 2006, Vancouver Opera, in partnership with
the Canadian War
Museum in
Ottawa , will present twenty performances of
this very moving opera at the museum.

 

About the Opera

Commissioned
by Vancouver Opera, Naomi’s Road was
composed by Ramona Luengen to a
libretto by Ann
Hodges and is based on the 1986 novel for young readers
by award-winning Japanese Canadian writer Joy
Kogawa. Set during World War II, the opera depicts the dramatic
journey of nine-year-old Naomi, her older brother Stephen, and their
“Obasan” (aunt) from their comfortable and happy home in
Vancouver to a Japanese
internment camp in the interior of B.C.  Sister and brother endure the
harshness of war, racism, bullying, and loss of family to discover the gifts
that sustain them: music, words and love.  Their resilience of spirit and
the kindness of certain strangers they meet offer hope for the future and will
lead Canadian
War Museum
audiences to discover the power of understanding and the beauty of compassion.

 

In announcing these performances, James W. Wright, VO’s General
Director, said, “This meaningful work deeply touched many people,
children and adults alike, during its tour of B.C. and in locations in
Alberta and Washington
State that hold their own
unique memories of the Japanese internment.  We are delighted by the
opportunity to share this opera with young audiences in Ottawa ,
within the resonant surroundings of the
Canadian War
Museum .” 
Added Wright, “I believe that this presentation of Naomi’s Road comes at a time in
history when it is important to reflect on the ways in which war and its
by-products can not only affect the future of nations but also forever alter
the lives of children and the security of their families.  Vancouver Opera
is privileged to stage a production that has the unique ability to act as a
catalyst for audiences of all ages to enter into important dialogue on these
issues.”

 

Performance Details / Tickets

November
1-3: School performances (not open to the public) 

November 4
and 5: public performances 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm each day

November
7-10: school performances (not open to the public)

November 11
and 12: public performance each day at 2:00 pm

 

Tickets to
the public performances are now available from the
Canadian War
Museum ’s call
centre at 1-800-555-5621 or 819-776-7014. Tickets may also be
purchased in person at the Canadian
War Museum
box office.  Prices are $10 for students, and $20 for adults, plus any
applicable service charges.  Schools can purchase group tickets by calling
1-800-555-5621 or 819-776-7014. 

 

About
Joy Kogawa

Joy
Kogawa’s novel Naomi’s Road is
based on her 1981 award-winning adult book Obasan,
the first novel to deal with the internment of Japanese Canadians during and
after World War II.  Widely admired and read, Obasan was chosen for the Vancouver Public Library’s
2005 city-wide annual book club program, One
Book One Vancouver.  Joy Kogawa was born in
Vancouver in 1935. Like Naomi’s family
in the novel, Joy’s family was interned in Slocan and later sent to
Coaldale , Alberta
after World War II, where Joy taught school. Kogawa, who now lives in
Toronto and Vancouver ,
is a recipient of numerous honorary doctorates as well as national and
international awards for her writing.  In 1986, she was named a Member of
the Order of Canada . 
“When I first heard that Naomi's Road
was being made into an opera for children, I had a sense of unreality,”
she said.  “I couldn't quite fathom it.  And even today,
knowing that somehow, through some mysterious process, the story has been
magically transformed into a wholly different and wonderful medium, I still
find it hard to believe and am left somewhat stunned.  It's more than a
dream come true.”  Adds Kogawa, “The existence of this opera
tells me once again that the unexpected is what happens — and that there are
more blessings in the air than we can ask for or imagine.  May we each
walk on our own special roads – like Naomi and [her new kindred spirit]
Mitzi – with Friendship, discovering as we go that our world is full of a
loveliness that is greater than all the grief in our lives.”

 

The Creation Process

Vancouver
Opera awarded he commission for Naomi’s
Road in the fall of 2003 and the process of writing and composing
began.  Ann Hodges penned the
libretto in the winter of 2003/2004.  Composer Ramona
Luengen wrote the last notes of her score in September,
2004.  That same month, the libretto was read at a special event at the
Gulf of
Georgia Cannery National Historical Site ,
in Steveston, B.C., (located at the site of the seizure, in 1942, of hundreds
of fishing boats owned by Japanese Canadians). 

 

Two week-long workshops were
conducted, one in the fall of 2004 and the other in the spring of 2005, during
which the work was developed and refined.  In May, 2005, portions of the
opera were sung for an international audience at the annual OPERA
America conference, in
Detroit .  And in early June, 2005,
selections from the opera were performed at the 2005 UBC-Laurier Institution
Multiculturalism Lecture, at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, in
Vancouver .  The
performance and the lecture, by poet and writer Roy Miki, were later broadcast
on the CBC Radio program IDEAS.

 

During
2005-2006, Vancouver Opera’s touring production of Naomi’s Road visited more than 140
schools and community venues throughout B.C.  The experience of seeing and
hearing Naomi’s Road was
enhanced with study materials that were created and provided by Vancouver Opera
to each school in advance of the performance.  The production also
traveled to Lethbridge , Alberta
and to Seattle and
Bainbridge Island , Washington . 
It was enthusiastically received wherever it was performed.

 

 

Production Details

The
production features original sets and costumes, designed by Christine Reimer, which beautifully evoke
the 1940s period of the opera’s story and have been cleverly engineered
to fold up for touring purposes.  Stage direction is by Ann Hodges.

 

The musical
score, for piano accompaniment and four singers, is richly melodic and
dramatic.  Easily enjoyed by young audiences, the music is also deft and
sophisticated enough to be appreciated by adult audiences.  It
incorporates traditional Japanese melody and its beautiful voicings and
harmonies are influenced by Ramona Luengen’s experience as a composer of
choral music.  The Musical Director is Leslie
Uyeda. 

 

Cast

This
production reunites the four young singers and the nimble-fingered pianist from
the Spring 2006 segment of the 2005-2006 tour.  Soprano Jessica Cheung is Naomi; soprano Gina Oh is Mother, Obasan and Mitzi (a
non-Japanese girl whom Naomi befriends); tenor Sam Chung is Stephen; and baritone Gene Wu is Father, the Trainmaster, a bully, and Rough Lock
Bill (an eccentric but kindly man who lives in the mountains above the
internment camp).  The pianist is Angus
Kellett. The stage manager is David
Curtis.

 

Support

Naomi’s Road was commissioned and produced by
Vancouver Opera with the support of Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts
Council, Opera.ca, Vancouver Foundation, RBC Foundation, Vancouver Arts Awards,
The Hamber Foundation, The Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation, and the Spirit of
BC Arts Fund.

 

This
presentation at the Canadian war Museum is made possible with the generous
support of Ms. Yoshiko Karasawa.

 

-30 –

 

Roy Miki recieves Award for Truth, Justice and Non-Violence

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Roy Miki Receives Award for Truth, Justice and Non-Violence

It seems like a few days ago that I was writing about Roy Miki
recieving the SFU Sterling Award for Controversy.  Today's
Vancouver Sun had an article about Roy receiving the Thakore Visiting
Scholar Award at SFU tonight.

Okay… I must like writing about Roy.

Here is the link to a similar article at www.nowpublic.com:
Roy Miki Receives Award for Truth, Justice and Non-Violence

Roy Miki to be presented with the Thakore Visiting Scholar Award on October 2, 2006 at Simon Fraser University

The
India Club of Vancouver, The Thakore Charitable Foundation, and The
Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University have joined
hands in celebrating Gandhi Jayanti on October 2nd of each year since
1991 to foster the principles of truth, justice, human rights and
non-violence.This year the Thakore Visiting Scholar Award will be
presented to Roy Miki for his long and outstanding work and
achievements in the Japanese Canadian redress movement.

A
third-generation Japanese-Canadian, Miki has long been active in the
successful Redress Movement. As well as a recognized poet, Roy Miki is
a Professor of English  at Simon Fraser University, and is a well-known
editor and biographer. The award honours his long and outstanding work
and achievements related to redress, including his book, Redress:
Inside the Japanese Canadian Call for Justice.

Created in 1991
by former SFU faculty member Natverlal Thakore, the award honours
individuals who show a concern for truth, justice and non-violence in
public life.

New quarterly e-magazine called Scotland Now

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This message from Ron Macleod
Chair of SFU Scottish Studies

Greetings, for those who desire to maintain a link with Scotland. The following courtesy of Ron Sutherland.
 
There is a new quarterly e-magazine called Scotland Now created for Scotland’s
friends, alumni and diaspora around the world. It can be accessed at
 www.scotland-now.com
 
The e-magazine is in its 3rd edition. It features “arts & culture; history and heritage, sports & leisure, your news and contact us”.
 
It appears to be an interactive link where participants can also contribute stories.
 
A quick perusal of the website suggests a worthwhile link. Regards, the other Ron

UBC Day of the Longboat 2006 – I paddle the distance equivalent of 16 dragon boat races in one day

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UBC Day of the Longboat 2006 – I paddle the distance equivalent of 16 dragon boat races in one day

What a day!  I am utterly fatigued… completely tired.  My muscles ache.  I can't walk without my legs hurting.  I can't lift my drinking cup without my arm muscles complaining.  And there is this big silly grin on my face.

I paddled 4 races in the largest Voyageur canoe race in North America – the UBC Day of the Longboat.  Each race is 2km with a 10 person crew in a voyageur canoe. It takes place at Jericho Beach, at the Jericho Sailing Centre.  A dragon boat race is normally 500m long.  But sometimes we also race 250m sprints, and for special occasions there are 1000m and 2000m races.

I love Jericho Beach.  The Jericho Sailing Centre is last remaining hangar from the former Jericho Army base, where flying boats would patrol rum runners in the 1920's.  I remember in the mid-1960's, my father worked as a sign painter for the Army, at the base.  Seeing army tanks on the base was always a highlight, when we went to pick up my father when he finished off work.

5 paddlers from the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team raced with Tacoma Dragon Boat Association, for Mixed, Mens and Womens races.  It was the 3rd time we had raced with TDBA in the Day of the Longboat.  Earlier this year in May, we also raced with TDBA for the False Creek Women's Regatta.  Our Gung Haggis paddlers are Steven, Teresa, Joe, Ernest and myself.  We are joined by honourary GHFC paddler Kristine, plus Ron, Sara and Stuart from Scaly Justice dragon boat team, as the the Canadian contingent.

We started the day soon after 7am.  I set up our tents in the parking lot and brought bananas for everybody. This year we have started a tradition of hosting each other at races.  The weather was sunny – not the rain that had been expected.  Our friendship goes back to 2001 when we did fun mens and womens races together at a race in Seattle.

8:30am
First Mixed Race.  Because Tacoma doesn't have a full Mixed crew ready for the 8:10 start (due to border issues etc.), they are allowed to race at 8:30 with two other UBC teams.  I am paddling lead stroke.  We start off slow, in third place, but pass two boats on the way to the midpoint, where a runner jumps onto the beach to grab a baton.  Unfortunately, our runner can't get out because we are beached beside the boat in front of us.  We back up, our runner gets out.  We push our boat out, but the 3rd place team has now pulled in front of us.  On the 2nd turn, we pass the boat.  We overtake the 1st place team, on the way to the final turn.  We handily pull ahead and finish 1st.  It is the first longboat race for Steven and Teresa.  Steven has been paddling since the first dragon boat race in 1986.  Teresa started paddling at the end of April with us. In her rookie year, she has now paddled 9 events.  Wow!  In my first 3 years of paddling, we only had the Alcan Dragon boat Race locally.  We used to stop paddling after June.  Now we paddle from March to October.

The wind starts to blow up.  A strong Westerly…. pushing boats East.  Two more of our paddlers show up, Joe and Ernest.  They have arrived to paddle the Men's races with us.

10:20am
First Women's Race.  The women leave the start as third last in a field of nine.  Because of the strong wind, on the first turn after the start, many boats get pushed past the buoy marker and have to paddle back to go around it.  Our women's team paddles hard and moves up two places to finish 5th.

11:30am
First Men's Race.  I am paddling lead stroke. We have a slow start off the beach.  We take an outside west side route to avoid the jam-up immediately ahead of us, that allows us to paddle hard.  We pass a boat going to the buoy.  We race Eastwards to the baton pick-up point.  Coming up parallel alongside the beach, our runner jumps out to run to get the baton. What?!?!  the tide is up, the beach is shorter, the water is deeper!  He runs through the water.  I jump out of our boat to push the nose out to the water.  Our runner helps me push, we jump in and start paddling.  We pass a boat on the 2nd turn. We pass another boat going to the final turn.  We finish the race in 3rd place, passing about 4 boats along the way. We beach the boat nose first, Steven jumps out of the boat, and runs up the beach with the baton.  He looks for the gong.  He is a few feet East of the gong.  People shout directions.  He looks to his right, runs a few feet and hits the gong.  Whew! What a moment.

12:30pm
Women's Final race.  The Women get out to a good start in 3rd place.  They hold a good solid pace.  As the boat comes towards the beach at the baton point, the runner Sara jumps out.  Too deep!  The tied has come in.  The water is deeper than it was for the first race.  Sara is swimming to the beach!  She runs up onto the beach, grabs the baton, jumps back in the boat huffing and puffing – grabs her paddle and starts paddling!  What a trouper!  The team pulls hard on their paddles.  They finish in 3rd place.  First place goes to False Creek Women.

2:30pm
Mens Final Race.  It's a good competitive group of teams.  False Creek Men stand beside us.  TD Lightning. Synergy.  Coach Clem wants us to break ahead at the start by doing fast short strokes similar to the “ups” of a dragon boat start, instead of the slower strokes we had used in the earlier races. The airhorn goes off.  Clem runs from his chair to the boat, jumps into the boat, we paddle, Up! Up! Up!  Quick short strokes…. trying to match the False Creek Men's team beside us.  They inch up by twos, threes and fours, pulling ahead by threeboat lengths to reach the 1st turning buoy ahead of us.  Another team reaches the buoy as us at the same time, but battles alongside us all the way to the midpoint.  Our boats beach and our runners jump out to grab the batons.  We have a slower start off the beach, but we paddle a wider entry to the buoy, cutting it closely, nipping their stern, as they swing to the outside of the course and we draw a straight line to the next buoy.  We hold our pace, counting power series at all the right times, catching up to a boat, and pulling away from a boat. 

We draw another good line coming into the final turn.  We paddle hard and to the finish line with a boat right on our tail.  Ernest our runner gets ready to jump out and run to the beach… too soon!  Ernest jumps into the water – just like he did in our first men's race when we were about twenty feet away on a low shallow tide.  But the water is too deep.  Our boat goes past him.  Clem grabs him by the life jacket and helps him up to pull him along.  as we beach our boat nose first. Ernest recovers and runs through the water to the beach. The other boat beaches their boat. Their runner jumps out and rings the gong.  Ernest runs up the beach and rings our gong.  We finish 4th, even though our boat hit the beach 3rd.  What a race!

3:30pm
The Mixed Final. It seems like only about 30 minutes after our last race.  We are ready to race again.  So far, I have paddled 3 races for 6km. – the distance equivalent of 12 dragon boat races.  The most I have ever paddled in a single day before was 5.  Starts and a higher stroke rate really wear you out.  We are going for a longer slower stroke rate.  I am tired, but feeling good.  The first time I ever did a 2km longboat race was with TDBA in 2004.  After my first race, I thought I might have a heart attack.  My heart rate was up.  My muscles felt really shaky. But I survived and did 4 races that day. I also didn't paddle much that year because I spent most of my time coaching the team.

This year, I steered all the Gung Haggis races because of a ski injury in April.  But I started paddling again in July for some canoe work, and I paddled a dragon boat race + a barrel race on Labour Day for the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race.  Our training in September was all preparation for the longboat races.  By last Sunday, we had worked our way to paddling the equivalent distances.  In our last practice we paddled the equivalent of three 1.5 km race pieces spread over less than 90 minutes.

Again, I will be paddling lead stroke.  We get off to a good start.  It looks like we are one of the top three teams.  TD Lightning is on our left.  Another boat hits them on their left, they then collide with us. We get jammed up, because our left side paddlers have nowhere to stroke.  We untangle, and move towards the first turning buoy, but we have now drifted East of the buoy.  Darn! More work ahead. Clem steers us around the buoy.  We paddle hard to get away from a boat or two. 

Coming into the midpoint, lots of boats are ahead of us, beached and getting their batons.  We come in behind, Sara jumps out, gets the baton.  She joins me pushing the boat off the beach.  We take off before some of the boats still on the beach. We paddle hard, calling a power series.  We race another boat to the 2nd turning buoy, and pass them.  They hold tight with us, on our tail, but we leave them behind.  Another boat is up ahead to our left.  Clem steers a good path with a wide entry that gives us a good line for the buoy.  We cut them off.  But they are still behind us.

It's been a long race, and we are getting tired. They surge coming into the final stretch.  We call a power series.  Voices in our boat are yelling  “1-2! 1-2! 1-2!”  Our boat surges and doesn't back down.  We hit the beach.  Tina jumps out of the boat with the baton in hand.  She races up the beach and bangs the gong.  Wow!  What a race!  We hug each other as we get out of the boat. We cheer the other teams and call out, “Good race!”  We wear smiles. 

We give high fives to our team members who didn't race with us, but stand along the barriers cheering us on.  I walk past the medal podium where the False Creek Mixed team is receiving their little black canoe trophies.  I smile at Pat Bigonzi, whom I used to coach and paddle with back from 1999 to 2001.  Our paddlers walk back to our tents congratulating other paddlers, and patting each other on the back.  What a race.  Everybody was close in little packs.  Nine boats in three or four groups – all battling it out – not willing to give an inch.  Everybody paddling long and strong, deep and hard.

We take a group picture.  We share our friendships between Vancouver BC paddlers and Tacoma Washington paddlers. Americans and Canadians.  We vow to do it again. Tacoma invites us to come to paddle in some races there.  We offer to invite them to dinner when they come back to Vancouver races.  It's a good friendship.  3 of us join the final 3 Tacoma paddlers for dinner at Chianti's Restaurant for pasta, before they leave town, and our country.

Here are articles from our 2004 and 2005 races with Tacoma at the Day of the Longboat.

by
Todd
on Mon 04 Oct 2004 04:08 PM PDT

by
Todd
on Sun 02 Oct 2005 11:27 AM PDT

Head Tax Families Society of Canada to become a non-profit society

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Here's a message from my friends at the newly named Head Tax Families Society of Canada. 

B.C. Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants is
changing it's name to Head Tax Families Society of Canada and becoming
a non-profit society.

Attached please find petition to the Harper government for a head tax refund based on “one cerificate, one claim” principle.

Please assist us in petitioning the government by printing out the
petition form and having your friends and relatives sign the petition
and mail to the address at the bottom by no later than November 15th,
2006.
Thanking you in advance,
 
Harvey Lee
Head Tax Families Society of Canada.

There is a drive to continue the redress process for the Head Tax against Chineseimmigrants and the Exclusion Act. 

As concerned Canadian citizens we wanted the government to create the fairest redress possible: something that was win-win-win: for the government, for head tax payers and families, and the people of Canada. 

With coalitions, and community members from across Canada, from Victoria B.C on the Pacific Ocean to St. John's New Foundland in the Atlantic Ocean, from Inuvik, N.W.T. in the Arctic Circle to the Southern Ontario shores of Lake Erie – Canadians asked for redress. 

The Chinese Canadian National Council  proposed a 2 step process.  The first step was to immediately apologize for the racist head tax and provide a symbolic compensation package to surviving head tax payers and spouses, and community funding.  The second stage would be to address a package to surviving head tax payer descendants, where the original head tax payer or spouse is predeceased.

The Conservative Government followed through on step one, but has ignored step two.  They have only addressed the head tax payments of surviving head tax payers and spouses.  Anybody who died before the Conservatives came to power is “shit-out-of-luck.”  This is unfair.  This penalizes those who worked hard, and died early, because they had to pay off the eqivalent of two years salary, or the price of a house, just to be allowed entry into Canada, when any other race than Chinese could come in Free of Charge. 

When our representatives met with Jason Kenney, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister,  they told stories of the hardships, and introduced him to surviving head tax payers, spouses , sons and daughters.  Kenney honestly did not realize that the head tax payers “borrowed” the money to pay the head tax to come to Canada.  Kenney did not know that head tax payers worked many years and years to pay the borrowed money – sometimes to family and village members, sometimes to organizations.  But they worked hard and paid it off.  They were not affluent immigrants in 2005, who could easily pay a $1000 landing fee to come to Canada.

The pioneers paid $500 each from 1903, to 1923.  It was the equivalent of a two year salary, or a house – which would today be $100,000 or more!  That's how racist the head tax was.  It was meant to keep Chinese immigrants out of Canada, to keep Canada white, to keep Canada clean from the Asian peril, the Yellow Fever, the Chinese plague. 

If the government charges a tax and then decides it was incorrect, or a mistake – they give a tax refund, with interest.  In 1885, the Canadian government created the first Chinese head tax, charging $50.  When Chinese kept coming, the charge was raised to $100.  When Chinese kept coming, it was raised to $500 in 1903.  In 1923, the Canadian government decided that the Chinese Head Tax was not doing the job of keeping Chinese immigrants from coming to Canada, so they created the Chinese Exclusion Act. In 1947, after WW2, the Canadian government decided that the Chinese Exclusion Act was wrong, and rescinded it.  But they never gave an apology, nor refunded the head tax…. when repeatedly asked…. until June 22nd, 2006.

Today, the equivalent of $500 from 1903 with compound interest, would be between $200,000 to $300,000.  The Head Tax coalitions across Canada recommended a “symbolic compensation figure,” – not asking for full refund + compound interest.

One certificate – one payment.  It's fair and simple.

Not – one payment per certificate, if you or your spouse is still alive.  One person said that would be the equivalent of saying to First Nations people.  “We are sorry we stole your land, and put your people on reserves.  We will give compensation only to people who are still alive when it was done.  Too bad they all died
now, and couldn't live past 120 years to enjoy today..… Please don't blame us, we only just formed the Government.”
(please see the 1967 speech by Chief Dan George on Canada Day, given at Empire Stadium in Vancouver). 

We know that generations have suffered in First Nations culture because of the move to reservations, and because of residential schools.  We know that generations have suffered because Japanese Canadians were interned and their property was confiscated.  And we know that generations of Chinese have suffered due to unfair racism, and economic disadvantage due to the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act.  It is the descendants of the original head tax payers that carry on despite the adversity and continue to build and love this country called Canada.  We love Canada despite its racist history because we care for its future.

One certificate – One payment – It's only fair.

Please sign and circulate the attached petition.

 

2nd Annual National School Run Day for Terry Fox – I speak at Tomsett School

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2nd Annual National School Run Day for Terry Fox – I speak at Tomsett School

Imagine if schools across Canada, all held their Terry Fox Run at the exact same time across Canada.
10am in BC, 11am in Alberta, 12noon in Winnipeg, 1pm in Ottawa, 2pm in Halifax, 2:30pm in NewFoundland. 

This is what the National School Run Day is all about.  Here are some links to articles about the National School Run:
The Brampton Guardian: Hundreds take part in local Terry Fox runs …
The Brandon Sun: Online Edition
North Bay News and Weather on BayToday.ca

This year I was invited to speak at Tomsett Elementary School in
Richmond.  I always speak at Elementary Schools for Terry Fox Run,
as a Terry's Team member – cancer survivors who serve as living
examples that cancer research has helped to make a difference.

Tomsett is quite a small elementary school of only about 250 students.  But they are very enthusiastic!
The Terry Fox video “I Am Terry Fox” played as classes entered the
gymnasium.  There was also a raffle draw in which students' names
were called out, and they recieved Terry Fox Run shirts, or hats. 
They all proudly put them on.

I spoke for about 15 minutes.  First I shared with the students
about the cancer that I had, and how I became a cancer survivor. 
Next I talked about how I became involved with the Terry Fox Run when
Terry's brother Darrell invited me.  Then I talked about Terry Fox
Runs around the world.

The children from kindergarten to grade 7 were very good.  As I
talked I asked them questions about Terry Fox and the Terry Fox
Run.  Many students put up their hand, they certainly weren't
bored.  It's always very cute that some kids put up their hands
just to participate.  I ask them in which province did Terry Fox
start his run? – and somebody answers “Canada?”

Following my talk, we all went outside.  We ran for 15 minutes
around the school fields, in an L-shaped pattern.  It is a
wonderful feeling to be surrounded by such joyous energy, all running
with enthusiasm, knowing that this run is special…. this run really
means something.  Children came up to me to ask questions.  I
encouraged them as they ran.  For much of the run, I talked with
the school run organizer Joan Young, a teacher at Tomsett.  I
first got to know Joan, when her grade four students wanted to help
save Joy Kogawa House.  The students were so enthusiastic, they
went to Vancouver City Hall, to ask Mayor Sam Sullivan to save the
house.  It was then that I told Joan that I speak at Terry Fox
Runs as a Terry's Team member.  I wrote about the students visit to Kogawa House where they met author Joy Kogawa.

To finish the run, I stood beside the finish line and gave “high fives”
to the students.  I thanked them for supporting Terry's dream, and
gave them compliments and encouragement for doing so well.

Following the run, I visited Mrs. Young's grade four classroom.  I
stayed to answer questions from the children.  They were all very
enthusiastic.  Some of them wanted to know what kind of cancer I
had; How did Terry discover he had cancer; or to share that their
grandmother had died from cancer.  They enthusiastically answered
my questions about Terry's Run, such as “How many miles / kilometres
did Terry Run?”  It was a great day.  Certainly makes you
glad for the future of Canada, with so many children enthusiastic for
the values and ideas of Terry Fox.  We ended my visit by shouting
our loudest “I am Terry Fox!”

Here's a thank you letter from Joan Young, teacher at Tomsett Elementary School in Richmond BC. 

Hi Todd,

Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to come and talk to 
the students at my school.  I think that this was one of the most 
successful Terry Fox runs that our school has ever had, largely due to your
participation. 

We really appreciated the thoughts that you presented to the kids at the
assembly.  I think that it is incredibly generous of you to share your story
of being a cancer survivor with others.  There is no greater testimony than
to see someone such as yourself who has been through the hardships to stand
in front of others, strong and healthy - living proof that our efforts are
making a difference.  I think that you helped the children to understand
about cancer and about the importance of keeping Terry's dream alive.  
This made the whole idea of the run so much more meaningful for everyone.

The gorgeous weather certainly helped our run too.  Why couldn't it have
been like that on Sept. 17?

It was great of you to stay and talk to the kids in my class afterwards as
well.  They felt pretty special to receive an extra visit and have you all
to themselves.  It's interesting how 8 and 9 year olds react to visitors.
They are a pretty enthusiastic bunch and they love to show off.  I think if
we let them, they could have kept on coming up with questions for hours.

Thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness.

Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Joan and John

You can donate to my on-line pledge sheet.  Terry's team
members are cancer survivors who also offer to run for people who cannot run themselves.  Just click
on:
 http://www.terryfoxrun.org/ENRunner/default.asp?s=1&RunnerID=42768

More links:

What Is A Canadian?: 43 Thought-Provoking Responses – Check out this new book!

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Following a year that saw CBC TV's “The Greatest Canadian” and CBC
Radio's “BC Almanac's Greatest British Columbians” – there is a book
titled:

What Is A Canadian? : Forty-Three Thought-Provoking Responses (Hardcover)

by Studin (Author)
What Is A Canadian? : Forty-Three Thought-Provoking Responses

Book Description
Each of these essays begins with the words
“A Canadian is . . .”. Each one is very different, producing a
fascinating book for all thinking Canadians.

Irvin
Studin is an idealistic young Canadian who wanted to do something
extraordinary for his country. So he decided to approach leading
Canadians — he calls them “sages” — to tell us what they believe
defines us. The people who responded eagerly, to produce an essay of
1,500 to 2,000 words, are, in his words, “all distinguished Canadian
thinkers and achievers from all walks of life — politics, the civil
service, academia, literature, journalism, business, the arts — from
both official language groups, and from all regions of the country, as
well as from the Canadian diaspora.”

The strength of this book
lies in the contributors, listed in the sidebar. The variety ranges
from the funny — “A Canadian is . . . someone who crosses the road to
get to the middle” (Allan Fotheringham) through the hostile — “. . .
the citizen of a country badly in need of growing up” (William Watson)
through the surprising — “. . . adaptable. To illustrate, consider the
depth and breadth of the Canadian woman’s wardrobe” (Jennifer Welsh) or
celebratory — “. . . a wonderful thing to be” (Bob Rae).

A Canadian is . . . certain to find this book fascinating.

Contributors:
Allan
Fotheringham, Thomas Homer-Dixon, Roch Carrier, Jake MacDonald, George
Elliott Clarke, Margaret MacMillan, Thomas Franck, Rosemarie Kuptana,
Gérald A. Beaudoin, Peter W. Hogg, George Bowering, Christian Dufour,
Paul Heinbecker, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, John C. Crosbie, Audrey
McLaughlin, Roy MacGregor, Charlotte Gray, Hugh Segal, Janet
McNaughton, Sujit Choudhry, Aritha van Herk, L. Yves Fortier, Catherine
Ford, Mark Kingwell, Silver Donald Cameron, Guy Laforest, Maria
Tippett, E. Kent Stetson, Louis Balthazar, Joy Kogawa, Wade
MacLaughlan, Douglas Glover, Lorna Marsden, Saeed Rahnema, Denis
Stairs, Valerie Haig-Brown, Guy Saint-Pierre, William Watson, Doreen
Barrie, Jennifer Welsh, Bob Rae


Hmmm… definitely a great list of thinkers.  Whom have I met?  Joy Kogawa is now a friend.  I have met writers George Elliott Clarke and George Bowering a few times.  I saw Roch Carrier just on Sunday at the Word on the Street Festival, I can add Audrey McLaughlin to my list…  I would love to meet Charlotte Grey!

Of CBC's top ten Greatest Canadians – David Suzuki lives in Vancouver
Of BC Almanac's top ten Greatest BC'ers – David Suzuki and Nancy Greene are still alive
Of
“What Is A Canadian” contributers – several live near Vancouver: George
Bowering “Canada's first poet-laureate”, Joy Kogawa, Valerie
Haig-Brown is the daughter of eco-pioneer Roderick Haig-Brown and lives on Vancouver Island.

Maybe I can propose an essay collection for “What is Chinese-Canadian?” or “What is Asian-Canadian?”  Would Kristin Kreuk be availalble or Jon-Kimura Parker? 

'Chinese Canadians,' or 'Canadian Chinese' (with or without the hyphen)

1 Reply

'Chinese Canadians,' or 'Canadian Chinese' (with or without the hyphen)

It's almost as interesting as the question: “What is a Canadian?”  But, truly… What is a “Chinese-Canadian?”

I used to think it was like being a French-Canadian, but instead of my ancestors being from France, they came from China.  Presto!  I am a Chinese-Canadian.

But then I discovered that French-Canadians have different historical and parliamentary differences.  In 1985 I spent 2 weeks in Montreal and Quebec City, trying to speak French exclusively.  I learned that  being “Quebecois” is different from being a “Quebecker.”  A Chinese-Canadian friend went to Montreal, and phoned me saying “Guess what? I'm not Chinese-Canadian anymore, now I'm an Anglophone!”

So… what is a Chinese-Canadian, or a Chinese (un-hyphenated) Canadian?

Susanna Ng asks the question on her weblog “Chinese in Vancouver.” She cites a study by Julianne Rock titled “We are Chinese Canadian: The Response of Vancouver's Chinese Community to Hong Kong Immigrants, 1980-1997.”

Susanna finds it interesting to discover that the “established” Chinese Canadian community (pre-1967) felt threatened by the new immigrant waves from Hong Kong during the 1980's, because of different values and cultures.  As one of the Hong Kong immigrants, she “didn't realize the Hong Kong Chinese were seen so much as an outsider by established Chinese Canadians then.”  She goes on to “comtemplate about the recent wave of immigrants from China
and how we – the Hong Kong Chinese now the established Chinese
Canadians – responded. We see big differences in
culture/habits/behaviours between 'us' and 'them.'”

I find Ms. Ng's article interesting and I look forward to meeting with her. After growing up in Canada amongst Chinese-Canadian pioneer descendants, then making friends with each of the subsequent Chinese immigration waves in the 70's, 80's and 90's – it is clear to me that each immigrant wave brings different cultures and regionalities of location and time.  This is similar to each of the different ethnic immigration waves that came to Vancouver's Strathcona neighborhood: Jewish; Russian; Chinese; Hong Kong; and Vietnamese.

The Vancouver / Canadian “Chinese-Canadian” community is itself very
diverse and multicultural. Fact: China is many times larger than
Europe, and filled with many “types” of Chinese ethnic groups. So it
makes sense that there should be as many “types” of Chinese people, as
there are European peoples.

I have made this point many times, especially when organizations try to
label “somebody” a “representative” of the Chinese community. It's like
asking somebody to be representative of the “white community” or the
“Canadian community.”  I once went to a CBC Radio breakfast meeting of “Chinese community representatives” and was shocked to see so few multi-generational born in Canada pioneer descendants.  Most were Chinese language speaking immigrants.

As a 5th generation Canadian, it's not surprising that Chinese-Canadian
pioneer descendants from prior to the 1923 Exclusion Act would feel
threatened by the massive immigrant waves from; post-1967 with a new
immigration point system; 1980's Hong Kong exodus; recent Taiwanese
immigration wave; and recent Mainland China immigration wave. 

Nor is it surprising that ethnic Chinese immigrants from Hong Kong,
would find themselves resentful of the new recent immigrants who don't
integrate easily.  These complaints are not as harsh as the sentiments of the White
Canadian (largely immigrant) population that created both the 1885-1923 Chinese head
tax, or the 1923-1947 Exclusion Act, when they said that the Chinese would not integrate into Canadian
society stating, “We don't want Chinamen in Canada, This is a white man's country and white men will keep it.” or “The people of Canada do not want to make a fundamental alteration to the character of our population.”  Hmmm… did anybody ask First Nations if European or Asian immigrants could come to Canada?

It was great when many of the post 1990 immigrants joined the Head Tax redress movement. Gabriel Yiu, Thekla Lit and Bill Chu really represented the immigrant-Chinese community very well.  The BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Family was a very cooperative work group of both Canadian-born pioneer descendants, China-born sons and daughters of pioneers who couldn't come to Canada because of the head tax / exclusion act – but came 1947-1967, and immigrants who arrived post 1967. It was an issue that brought Chinese Canadians together across the country, not dependant upon their regional or historical immigration culture or history.  Yiu, Lit and Chu spoke in many Chinese language debates in the Chinese media, as many pioneer descendants like myself do not speak Chinese (In 1967 – who would have ever thought that so many ethnic-Chinese immigrants would come to Canada, overnumbering Canadian-born pioneer descendants?).  A Georgia Straight article titled Head Tax Unites Activists summarized this alliance very well.

The reality is this: after a few generations everybody gets
inter-married, and calls themselves Canadian. In the between-time, new
immigrant Chinese will call themselves “Canadian” to distinguish
themselves from the homeland they have recently left, than they will
call themselves Chinese-Canadian, to distinguish themselves from
mainstream white-Canadians, then as families inter-marry, they will
call themselves Canadian.  Full circle.

Below is an excerpt from Susanna Ng's article.

We are 'Chinese Canadians'

I found an interesting study done by Julianne Rock for her master thesis at SFU. The title of the study is “We are Chinese Canadian: The Response of Vancouver's Chinese Community to Hong Kong Immigrants, 1980-1997“.

Rock
indicates that local born Chinese and post-1947 immigrants comfortably
called themselves “Chinese Canadian” after the establishment of the
multiculturalism policy. However, the term “Chinese Canadian” was even
more important to these groups of Canadians of Chinese descent when
Hong Kong Chinese began their exodus to Canada in the 80s, whom were
seen as people refusing to integrate into Canadian society.

Rock states:

When
speaking about nationality, older Chinese Canadians who were either
born in Canada or who immigrated in the post war years are adamant
about their identity as Canadian first and foremost.

And she quotes how prominent Vancouver architect felt about the “invasion” of the Hong Kong Chinese:

Bing
Thom, a Vancouver architect with ties to the Chinese Cultural Centre,
called himself a “true-blooded, third generation Canadian” and admitted
that he is “getting the uncomfortable feeling now that, because [he] is
of Chinese heritage, [he] is looked upon as an immigrant again.

Rock
notes the lavish lifestyle of the Hong Kong Chinese has made older
immigrants/locally born feel threatened and “concerned about a possible
backlash.”

read more: We are 'Chinese Canadians'

Fred Wah is new Writer-in-Residence for SFU 2006-2007

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Fred Wah is new Writer-in-Residence for SFU 2006-2007

Congratulations to Fred Wah.  He is being welcomed as the new Writer-in-residence 
for Simon Fraser University.  Fred is an amazing poet, and former English professor
at University of Calgary, now living in Vancouver.

Fred has been a featured poet for the 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns 
Chinese New Year Dinner, as well as the 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry
Night reading at the Vancouver Public Library.  

Fred loved the concept of "Gung Haggis Fat Choy" as he is multicultural inside and out, 
celebrating his Swedish, Irish, Scottish and Chinese heritage.

The following came to me from SFU English professor Roy Miki:

The reception will feature welcome comments by SFU President Michael Stevenson,
followed by a reading by Fred Wah. It is open to all members of the Simon Fraser
University community as well as the Vancouver arts community.

Wednesday, September 27 2006
Harbour Centre, Simon Fraser University
515 West Hastings Street at Seymour
7:30 – 9:30 pm

About Fred Wah

As a poet, public intellectual, editor, and educator, Fred Wah is one of Canada's most
influential and respected writers. His best-known works include Diamond Grill (NeWest
Press, 1996), So Far (Talonbooks 1991) and Waiting For Saskatchewan (Turnstone
Press, 1985), the last of which won the Governor-General's Award for poetry. He was
one of the founding editors of Tish at UBC and has been involved with a number of
literary magazines over the years, such as Open Letter and West Coast Line. As a
professor of English and Creative Writing at the University of Calgary until his retirement,
he was instrumental in helping to develop one of the most successful and highly creative
writing programs in Canada.

For Writers

Fred Wah will be available for consultation at Simon Fraser University during the
academic year of 2006-2007. To contact him please call the Department of English
at 604-291-3136. For information on the Writer-in-Residence Program, please consult
the Department of English website (www.sfu.ca/english).

With Thanks

Sponsored by the Writer-in-Residence Program with funding assistance
from the Canada Council, the Office of the President and the Dean of Arts
and Social Sciences, Simon Fraser University.