Vancouver city councilor Raymond Louie asked me to support his bid to be Vancouver Mayor.  Raymond would be a great mayor... I immediately said "Absolutely!"

Raymond stands in front of Historic Joy Kogawa House on April 25th, 2008.  This was his first visit to the house, after supporting motions on city council to help save the house from demolition, and plant a cherry tree graft at Vancouver City Hall in 2005.  Raymond holds some of Joy Kogawa's books to share with his wife and children - photo Todd Wong

Raymond Louie could be Vancouver's first Chinese-Canadian mayor.  He is a multi-generational Vancouverite from the East Side.  He is a second term Vancouver city councilor.

Raymond Louie has been getting some very significant endorsers including:

My statement of endorsement is now featured on Raymond Louie's website:

"Raymond Louie actually lives the culturally diverse Gung Haggis Fat Choy lifestyle that is my creative world. His own family straddles many cultures and many generations, and he actively demonstrates that he understands the many facets that can make our city shine like a diamond. I have seen how Raymond makes things happen as a city councilor, bringing together different groups and perspectives such as arts, economics, heritage and cultures. As a mayor that empowers others to be their best, Raymond will be dynamic and our jewel of a city should shine even brighter."

Todd Wong, arts advocate and creator of Gung Haggis Fat Choy

To support Raymond as the Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate, you have to
1) Join Vision as a member - click here!
2) Vote at the Vision Vancouver meeting on June 15th, Croatian Community Centre.

Raymond has recently made some wonderful statements on:

He has also currently "advocating for the creation of a non-profit foundation that will establish a long-term funding source for the chronically underfunded Childcare Endowment Reserve."

I have personally known Raymond since the fall of 2002, when he ran for city council.  Initially, I met his wife Tonya first, because she was on the board of Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, where I had volunteered for, and then was hired as a program coordinator.  I finally met Raymond at the Chinese Cultural Centre when Mike Harcourt endorsed COPE mayoral candidate Larry Campbell. 

After that our paths just seemed to keep crossing, as Raymond was invited to present the Queen's Jubilee Medals to VAHMS board members Jim Wong-Chu and Kuldip Gill. As well, Raymond attended the opening of the "Three Pioneer Canadian Chinese Families" at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives.  My great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan's family was featured, and I was one of the featured stories as a descendant.  Raymond attended because he was distantly related to H.Y. Louie, whose family was also featured along with the family of Lee-Bick.

I have seen Raymond at many events throughout Vancouver over the past 6 years.  He is an effective city councilor and is active in the community.

To see him in action at City Council check out this video:

YouTube - EgoDensity Round 1
Raymond Louie criticizes Mayor Sam Sullivan's Eco-Density program

Here are some of the highlights when Raymond and I have shared together:

Raymond climbed on top of the Taiwanese Dragon Boat head... and reaches out to simulate grabbing a flag before crossing the finish line.  I taught him how to climb onto the dragon head - neglecting to tell him it had never been done in Canada before.  Raymond lost the demonstration race to Olympic medalist Lori Fung. - photo courtesy of Taiwanese Cultural Festival.

August to September 2003, Raymond Louie was instrumental in helping to launch the inaugural Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race.  Raymond helped stickhandle through bureaucratic channels during a Vancouver Port strike, and participated as the flag grabber vs '84 Olympic gold medalist Lori Fung in a demonstration race.

November 3rd, 2005, Raymond supported the Save Kogawa House campaign at Vancouver City Hall, when we appealed to City Council for help.  City council used an unprecedented motion to delay a demolition permit application by 3 months, to give us time to fundraise and purchase the house.  Raymond also said that this project was so important he asked all the city councilors to make a donation that day.

January 2006, Raymond brings his family with wife and 3 kids to Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner.  The featured performers are Rick Scott & Harry Wong, and the No Shit Shirleys.

July 2007, Raymond Louie calls for mediation to end the Vancouver civic workers' strike.  Mayor Sam Sullivan and the NPA decline mediation and let the "unnecessary strike" drag on for 3 months, before a mediator is finally called in on Thanksgiving weekend to settle a contract very similar to what other municipalities already settled for 3 months earlier.  Following a July 29th rally at Vancouver City Hall, Raymond Louie comes out to talk with members of Vancouver's civic unions.  I introduce him to my fellow workers of CUPE 391, Vancouver Library Workers - photo Todd Wong.

January 25th, 2008.  Raymond Louie appears on Rock 101's Bro Jake show with "Toddish McWong" to help promote the Gung Haggis Fat Choy event.

January 27th, 2008.  Raymond Louie wears a kilt to Gung Haggis Fat Choy. photo Gung Haggis collection.  A highlight of the evening is Raymond on stage with a group of men wearing kilts as a "Toast to the Lassies" chorus with co-host Catherine Barr - photo VFK.

March 13th, 2008, Vancouver Sun reports Raymond Louie's declaration to run for Vancouver mayor.  Raymond  invites me to be one of his supporters in this photo taken at the Chinese Cultural Centre courtyard.  I am standing on the far left with many key supporters of the Chinatown business and community organizers.  Dr. Kerry Jang is 5th from right - Kerry will run as a candidate for councilor with Vision Vancouver. photo Bill Keay Vancouver Sun.
April 6th, 2008.  Tartan Day is officially proclaimed in Vancouver. Raymond seconded the motion in City Council, moved by Heather Deal, which passed on April 1st.  As deputy mayor, Raymond reads the proclamation prior to a Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team practice.  In this photo l-r: Chinese-Scottish-Canadian Michael Brophy holds the Scottish flag, Todd Wong, Raymond Louie holds proclamation, bagpiper Joe McDonald-  photo Todd Wong/Georgia Thorburn

If my grandfather was alive, he would have been 140 years old. IMPOSSIBLE!!! He worked hard to pay back the head tax, most likely borrowed from relatives and family friends. $500 was charged from 1903 to 1923, after initially imposed at $50 in 1885 and raised to $100 in 1900..... It is time to fulfill the CCNC's proposal to the Conservative government submitted in 2005. Or did Stephen Harper and Jason Kenney conveniently forget about the sons and daughters left behind by their pre-deceased head tax payers and spouses.   more »

Last year in 2006, the Vancouver Sun published a list of 100 Influential Chinese-Canadians in B.C. in BC.... to much criticism - positive and negative.  I commented on my blog article: GungHaggisFatChoy :: Vancouver Sun: 100 Influential Chinese...

I am now working on my list of "Chinese-Canadians that inspired me in 2007"

I was inspired by seeing the name of Roy Mah, in the Vancouver Sun's list of people we lost in 2007, and shared the idea with my friend George Jung.   Rather than create a list of newsworthy or influential Chinese Canadians, we decided on CC's that inspired us.  This way there is NO official requirement or standards.  It is  very subjective and personal.

I also emailed some friends to create their own lists:  David Wong and Gabriel Yu have sent me replies.  David's list can be viewed on http://www.uglychinesecanadian.com

In no order, other than who came to mind first, who has crossed my path, and reviewing my blog www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com to remind myself who I wrote about in 2007.


Roy Mah - the founder of Chinatown News, was written about in the Vancouver Sun after celebrating his 90th birthday, as well as when the City of Vancouver declared July 12th Roy Mah Day, in recognition of his memorial service.  I have known Roy since I submitted an article back in the early '80's.  When he would make his regular trips to the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, he would also wave to me sitting at the Information desk.
  
  
Thekla Lit for her work with Alpha Canada, promoting the film Rape of Nanjing, and inviting media and public to meet Comfort Women survivors.  Gabriel says that a columnist on the Global Chinese Press has named Thekla the Chinese-Canadian of 2007, as she and her husband Joseph have been busy on these issues for a long decade.  I got to know Thekla when she joined the committee for Chinese Head Tax Redress campaign in the months preceding the 2006 federal election.  She is a very smart women, not afraid to say what she thinks.


James Erlandsen - the young Eurasian SFU Student needing a bone marrow donor as he fights leukemia (James was named honourary drummer for the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon boat team).  James reminded me so much of my own 1989 battle with cancer, even going to the same high school and university.  There have been ups and downs, and he still puts on a brave face.  I did a City TV interview with James, when James and I met for the first time.  It was James' cousin Aynsley who first contacted me about writing about James for my blog.
  
 
Tracey Hinder - the 15 year old inaugural BC CanSpell champion, featured in the CBC documentary GENERATIONS: The Chan Legacy.  People constantly told me after watching the documentary that they  thought that my young cousin Tracey was great in it.  She was very inspiring for the future of Canada, especially with Tracey's Eurasian heritage, learning Mandarin and being involved with her school's multiculturalism club.  This summer Tracey started an e-newsletter titled "Becoming Green" that gives suggestions how to create a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.  I knew from the beginning that Tracey had to be in the documentary.  The documentary also featured family elders Victor Wong, Helen Lee, and Gary Lee, artist/author Janice Wong and myself.  Read my blog stories about Generations: The Chan Legacy
Tracey Hinder, Betty Wong and Todd Wong re: Generations: The Chan Legacy

Henry Yu - UBC professor of History, chair and organizer of the Anniversaries for Change '07 events recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Anti-Asian Riots in Chinatown.  Henry has organized events at UBC and throughout Vancouver recognizing the impact on Vancouver made by the 1907 Anti-Asian riot in Vancouver Chinatown, the 1947 franchise for Chinese Canadians enabling them full citizenship rights, the new immigration act of 1967, and the 1997 handover of Hong Kong.  Henry has attended many Gung Haggis Fat Choy and Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop events over the past few years.  Henry always seems to have boundless enthusiasm and energy for all his projects.  But this past year was also significantly inspiring because he also became a cancer support person for his wife (see below).


Brandy Lien-Worrall - editor of Eating Stories: a Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck and All Mixed Up - a Hapa anthology.  It is easy to be impressed by all the writing and editing projects that Brandy is involved in.  I got to know Brandy better when I took the writing workshops sponsored by the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC.  I truly learned what an incredible dynamo she is. She pushed us to write creatively, and from the heart.  And it was fun to have my stories and pictures published in Eating Stories. Read: Eating Stories, a Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck: book launch Nov 25th at Vancouver Museum.  But more important to recognize is that Brandy finished editing Eating Stories in between chemotherapy treatments, after she was diagnosed with cancer in the summer.  Soon she started up a cancer blog in addition to her poem a day blog, and her 12 other blogs...  Just like James Erlandsen, Brandy is Eurasian... and also reminds me of my own cancer experience. 


Larry Wong, Todd Wong, Shirley Chan, Janice Wong with editor Brandy Lien Worrall at the Eating Stories anthology official book launch at Vancouver Museum - photo Deb Martin

more to come....

Jen Sookfong Lee -

Margaret Gallagher

Karin Lee

Bill Wong

Vicki Wong

Joseph Wu

Tricia Collins

see part II
More Chjinese Canadians that Inpired me in 2007: part 2

Head Tax survivors Mrs. Der and Ralph Lee

Sid Tan - head tax activist

Bev Wong - community activist on bone marrow and blood donors

Douglas Jung building at 401 Burrard St. 

Lan Tung, leader of Orchid Ensemble, incredible musician and creator of Triaspora

Wesley Lowe - film maker, creator of I Am the Canadian Delegate - story of Douglas Jung

George Chow - city councilor

Raymond Louie - city councilor

Jenny Kwan - MLA

Jim Chu - 1st Vancouver police chief of Asian ancestry

Assaulted Fish - sketch comedy troupe

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre VACT presented three productions in 2007, Cowboy VS Samaurai, Asian Comedy Night, and Bondage.

Twisting Fortunes duo - Charlie Cho and Grace Chin

Chinese Canadian veterans

I had a very interesting phone call from Toronto on Monday... a producer from CBC Radio's "The Current" phoned me to ask my views on the latest Canadian census results on language and immigration released December 4th. The questions considered the issues of should Canada adopt a 3rd official language. The CBC Radio producer also asked me if I was aware that Singapore now had four official languages. I told her that New Brunswick is the only province in Canada with two official languages, and that Singapore is a city-state. Hmmm..... food for thought....   more »

"If the government unjustly takes a dollar from you or me, then offers an apology, but no money back - is that fair?" asked Sid Tan, long time advocate for redress of the notorious and racist head tax that was only levied against Chinese immigrants from 1885 to 1923 in an effort to keep Chinese from coming to Canada.... I attended the AGM of the Chinese Head Tax Families Society last Sunday, and also witnessed the ceremony that honoured Margaret Mitchell with a life-time membership in the society and for her work in first bringing the Head Tax redress issue to Canadian Parliament in 1984.    more »

The Chinese Canadian head tax campaign brought a lot of Chinese Canadian pioneers and pioneer descendants together with immigrants both recent and older.... I first met Victoria Yip, when she participated in the 1986 "Saltwater City exhibit" chaired by Paul Yee... Here's the statement by CCNC National President Colleen Hua issued the following statement on the passing of Mr. James Marr, Mrs. Victoria Yip and Mr. Ying Hope:   more »

What is the Redress Express, and what does it have to do with racism? 2007 is a significant year for anniversaries in Asian-Canadian history: 1907 - 100 year anniversary of the Chinatown riots by the Anti-Asiatic League 1947 - the end of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the beginning of franchise rights including voting for Canadians of Chinese ancestry. ~~~~~~~~~~ - Sid Chow Tan is now an "Artist" after his brief 5 minute talk & 10 minute video presentatsion of the journey of Head Tax Redress; Hank Bull (curator plus) stated that "If Sid's video isn't art, then I don't know what is!" - Victor Wong had an excellent talk on Head Tax & Redress titled "True Grits, Kwan Gung and Luck: The Inside Stories of the Head Tax Redress Campaign"   more »

Dim Sum with Olivia Chow in Vancouver


Olivia Chow and Todd Wong (center) with Barry Morley (left) and Mary-Woo Sims (right) - photo Todd Wong Collection

Olivia Chow came to Vancouver, ditched husband Jack Layton, and attended Meena Wong's monthly Dim Sum networking lunch at Rich Ocean Restaurant.  Actually, Jack Layton attended the Pride brunch, as Jack and Olivia attend Pride parades across Canada.  Meena has known Layton and Chow from her time living in Toronto, and is now continuing to handle communications and community building in Vancouver's Chinese language community for the NDP.  I've known Meena since 2002, when soon after arriving in Vancouver, she came to help volunteer for Asian Heritage Month events organized by explorASIAN.


Meena Wong and Olivia Chow addressing 40 people at Rich Ocean restaurant on Saturday- photo Todd Wong

The crowds came out to welcome Olivia to Vancouver.  Libby Davies MP for Vancouver East, dropped in to say hello.  COPE organizer Mel Lehan and his wife attended. Victor Wong, executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council was in town.  Sid Tan, Sean Gunn and Ron Mah of the Chinese Head Tax Families Society attended.  Even Faye Leung dropped in.  In all there were about 40 people.

I had a nice chat with Olivia.  Meena had seated us at the same table.  I knew she would be interested in hearing about the CBC documentary Generations: The Chan Legacy.  And she was also very interested to learn more about Gung Haggis Fat Choy - which she would love to attend, if and when I bring my Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner to Toronto.


Olivia joins Vancouver's head tax descendants for a picture: standing: ??, Mary, Ron Mah, Olivia Chow, Sid Tan, Faye Leung, Todd Wong; sitting: Sid Wong, Sean Gunn, Victor Wong (executive director of Chinese Canadian National Council) + head tax redress supporter  Mary-Woo Sims.

The federal NDP was the first national party to recognize the importance of redress for Chinese Canadian head tax issue.  Olivia recognized that it was Margaret Mitchell who first brought the issue to Canadian Parliament in 1984.  Olivia also supported the calls for Chinese Head Tax redress, as head tax became an issue in the 2006 federal election.  She also supports and inclusive redress that would honour every head tax equally, not just for the surviving head tax payers and their spouses, but also the head tax certificates that were left in the hands of the daughters, sons and grandchildren when the original head tax payers couldn't live to see the federal apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Powell St. Festival 2007 - Always lots to see and do!


Is this Todd Wong?  He's wearing a Gung Haggis Fat Choy shirt and he's Chinese-looking...  I tlooks like he's hawking haggis won-ton...

Noooo!!!!  It's Todd's friend Walter Quan... and he is holding up his famous sushi and won-ton cnadles that he sells at the Powell Street Festival every year.

Lots to see and do at the Powell Street Festival.  Great arts, entertainment, history and culture displays.  It integrates traditional and contemporary Japanese-Canadian cultures with the Downtown Eastside and the historic sites of Japantown.

True patriot Love: North Shore News article on Todd Wong, Betty Wong and Tracey Hinder re: The Chan Legacy

http://www.canada.com/northshorenews/news/live/story.html?id=281951b4-4181-4c68-a39b-5e5855445271

- Generations: The Chan Legacy is re-scheduled for August 19, on CBC Newsworld at 4 p.m. PST / 7pm EST

To say that Todd Wong, a 47-year-old North Vancouver resident, is proud of his roots would be an understatement.

Wong's family is one that has greatly impacted Canada's history and as a result its members continue to celebrate where they come from.

"We're just a Canadian family," says Wong, not downplaying his family's identity, but rather stating, realistically, who they are.

Not only has the Chan family survived, its members are continuing to thrive, exemplifying what it means to truly be "Canadian."

Wong's family's unique story is being brought to life in Generations: The Chan Legacy, a CBC documentary airing today on CBC Newsworld. It's part of a series of documentaries called Generations and was produced by Halya Kuchmij.

Filmmakers approached Wong, known in the Lower Mainland for his unique interest in multiculturalism, community work and activism. He's the founder of Gung Haggis Fat Choy, a website promoting inter-cultural activities.

Wong is also behind a 10-year-old Vancouver tradition, the Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner -- a mix of Chinese and Scottish traditions meant to play against racial stereotypes -- and he's a member of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team that further promotes multiculturalism and community spirit.

Wong's website site also details his adventures, told at times through his alter ego, "Toddish McWong," further celebrating what it is to be Canadian, he says.

The documentary discusses Wong's great, great grandfather Reverend Chan Yu Tan and how he and his wife came to the West Coast in 1896 to "spread the gospel" throughout, he says. Methodist church missionaries, they were tasked with "Westernizing" and "Christianizing" the Chinese pioneers, the majority working in labour-based jobs like the railroad.

Filming and interviews with Wong and his relatives, encompassing a number of generations, happened last fall.

"Before the documentary, I didn't know a lot about my ancestry," says Wong's second generation cousin, West Vancouver resident Tracey Hinder, 15, who's featured in the film. Hinder attends West Vancouver secondary.

"I only knew that I was Chinese-Canadian, that my mother was Chinese and that my father was British-Canadian. With the making of the documentary, I found that my family history started to unfold and I never knew that part of myself. It was absolutely fascinating," Hinder says.

Hinder is a member of her school's multiculturalism club, which organizes activities for students to participate in. She's also learning Mandarin.

Wong says he's proud of her as he believes it's important to ensure the younger generations of his family come to know and recognize their ancestral roots.

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Generations: The Chan Legacy on CBC Newsworld.
July 29th - 4pm and midnight

The Chan Legacy is the lead episode in the new documentary series Generations on CBC Newsworld.  It debuted on July 4th - my grandmother's 97th birthday.

How fitting!  Because the show is about her grand-father Rev. Chan Yu Tan who came to Canada in 1896 as a Christian missionary.

Feedback has been very positive.  Family members are very proud.  Friends are very supportive.  Historians are enthusiastic. Strangers are thrilled.

Listen to Auntie Helen and Uncle Victor tell stories about Rev. and Mrs. Chan, and about growing up in pre-WW2 BC, and facing racial discrimination.  Uncle Victor Wong also tells about enlisting as a Canadian soldier to go behind enemy lines in the Pacific for suicide squadrons, fighting for Canada, even though Chinese-Canadians could not vote in the country of their birth.

The next generations assimiliated more easily into Canadian culture.  Gary Lee became an actor and singer.  Janice Wong became a visual artist and author of the book CHOW: From China to Canada - memories of food and family, which addressed the history of Rev. Chan coming to Canada, and how Janice's dad started a Chinese restaurant in Prince Albert SK.

Then there is Todd Wong - cultural and community activist who founded Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner - which inspired a CBC Vancouver television performance special.  Todd is shown active in the dragon boat community, and speaking at a Terry Fox Run in the role of a 16 year cancer survivor.  Renowned Japanese-Canadian author Joy Kogawa makes an appearance, as Todd was also involved in helping to save Kogawa's childhood home from demolition and to turn it into a national historic and literary landmark.

July 29th Sunday - repeats at midnight

4:00 p.m.

Generations: The Chan Legacy - Missionaries from China come to the West Coast help Westernize Chinese immigrant workers in the late 1800's.

J

Watching "GENERATIONS: The Chan Legacy" with my grandmother and family

We attended the 97th birthday dinner for my grandmother, Mabel Mar (who can be seen in the documentary during the home movies, and in the Gung Haggis Fat Choy television special dinner segment.  It was great to watch with family members who hadn't seen the documentary yet.  My cousins Diane, Chris, Auntie Sylvia and Uncle Ian were all so pleased at how well done the show was. 

They kept talking over the narration whenever they recognized somebody in the pictures or the home movies that were shown.

Below are e-mails and messages that I have received from friends and family:

Todd - YOU have made us all very proud of our ancestors.
YOU did a great job to make this happen
MANY thanks
- David Young (Toronto cousin)

Dear Todd-really touched by your family, thought it was beautifully told - you look like your aunt Helen Lee 
but in a handsome, manly way.  What a treasure to have this documentary of this incredible 
clan-well done, thanks for sharing
- Jane Duford - artist and Gung Haggis paddler

SO Canadian. Great documentary, and I'm glad that I caught it. Well, I
only received half a dozen messages about it. ;) The other segments
look really good, too.
- Hillary Wong

Karen and I enjoyed it. Watch the whole thing.
- Richard Mah (Vancouver International Dragon Boat Race - race director)

Congratulations, Todd!  I actually read a story last year about your family in the North Shore News -- how proud you must feel!!!!  & how proud I am to know you!!! 
--Terrie Hamazaki (writer)

Todd! Generations was excellent! I loved it!  You were so great in it!!
Great job on all of your hard work in putting this together, it was really interesting.
Tell Aunty Mabel Happy Birthday for me!  Talk to you soon
Katie (Toronto cousin)

sharing,-jane         

Second Annual Chinatown Redress Rally, Saltwater City BC

July 1st is still "Humiliation Day" for many of the descendants of head tax payers.  Only Chinese immigrants were forced to pay the racist head tax starting in 1885, and lasting until 1923.  On July 1st, 1923, the Canadian government replaced the $500 head tax and instead passed the Chinese Immigration Act" which banned all Chinese immigration to Canada - forcing the separation and preventing reuniting of families.  It was repealed in 1947, but immigration was still severely restricted until 1967, when the points system was brought in.

On June 22nd, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper gave a parliamentary apology for the Chinese Head Tax and offered ex-gratia payments to surviving head tax payers and spouses only.  This left many head tax certificates out of the loop.  In fact, only less than one percent - 0.6% of head tax certificates are being recognized.  This leaves the sons, daughters and grandchildren of 99.4% of deceased head taxpayers without the "symbolic compensation" entitled to their ancestors. The Head Tax Families Society of Canada and the Chinese Canadian National Council are still asking the Government of Canada to recognize each head tax certificate equally and fairly.

BC CoalitionSee last report on last year's rally
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog/_archives/2006/7/2/2079426.html

Below is a special report from Sid Tan + media reports on the Chinatown Head Tax redress rally.
 

Chinese want more from Federal Government

Jul, 02 2007 - 1:00 AM

VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980) –

About one-hundred people celebrated Canada Day by rallying in Chinatown to call for further redress from Ottawa for families of Chinese immigrants who paid a head tax. Currently, only surviving head tax payers or spouses are eligible to claim settlements from the Federal Government.

But Sid Tan with the Head Tax Families Society of Canada says the redress is incomplete, "Well, what the Government has done, that's Stephen Harper, is that they have only redressed approximately six-hundred family claimants and we believe that the Government has taken an issue of justice and redress and honour, and turned it into vote-buying and pandering."

Tan says the rally was held on Canada Day because on July 1st, 1923, the Government of Canada brought in the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigration for 24 years.

--

PROTEST: Head-tax compensation doesn't go far enough, rally told

Canadian Press, July 2, 2007

VANCOUVER -- Several dozen people met in Vancouver 's Chinatown for a Canada Day rally to back their demand for further redress from the federal government for families of Chinese immigrants who paid a discriminatory head tax from 1885 to 1923.

"We're all proud Canadians and we're exercising our rights to call on the Stephen Harper government to provide an inclusive, just and honourable redress," rally organizer Sid Tan said. The federal government has turned the issue into "vote-buying and optics," he said.

"[Prime Minister Harper] has only addressed 0.6 per cent of all head-tax families and we believe all head-tax families should be treated equally," Mr. Tan said.

"There are still elderly sons and daughters of head-tax families who suffered and were excluded by the head tax."

Currently, only surviving head-tax payers or their spouses are eligible to claim a $20,000 settlement from the federal government.

The Conservative government formally apologized a year ago for the head tax and the subsequent 24-year ban on immigration from China .

Compensation should be extended to the families of deceased head-tax payers who also suffered as a result of the policy, say the supporters of head-tax compensation.

About 81,000 immigrants paid the head tax, which was imposed on Chinese immigrants entering Canada from 1885 until 1923.

The tax was set at $50 when it was first imposed in 1885, and in 1903 it rose to $500 - the equivalent of two years' wages.

Newfoundland also imposed a head tax from 1906 to 1949, the year it joined Confederation.

When Mr. Harper made the formal apology last summer, Chinese-Canadian groups had hoped the government would also compensate first-generation children of the head-tax payers.

New Democrat MP Libby Davies, whose riding includes Chinatown , was at the rally and called it "an important day for the families and survivors of head-tax payers."

"Justice has still not been served. There are still survivors of the head tax who are waiting for the federal government to recognize their pain."

--

Chinese-Canadians march in head-tax protest:
Further redress needed, say community leaders

By Cheryl Chan, The Province, Sunday, July 01, 2007
 
About 100 people marched through Chinatown today to demand further redress for the families and descendants of Chinese head tax payers.

"Many of the people who were in the rally today who are celebrating being Canadian weren't able to become Canadian until the repeal of [the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1947]," said Sid Tan of the Chinese
Canadian National Council.

He said only 600 families, or less than one per cent of head tax families, have received compensation from the Conservative government.  The redress package is not complete, says Tan, because families of deceased head tax payers who also suffered from the discriminatory policy are not eligible for compensation.  Currently, only living head-tax payers or their spouses are eligible for the $20,000 redress package.

The $50 head tax was first imposed on Chinese immigrants in 1885. It rose to $100 in 1900 and to $500 in 1903. More than 80,000 immigrants paid the head tax until it was lifted in 1923.

(c) The Province 2007

This media advisory is sent to me from Sid Tan and the Head Tax Families Society of Canada.  Last year I took pictures of both the rally and the Canada Day celebrations at Chinese Cultural Centre:
Canada Day in Chinatown: ceremonies + head tax redress march

Media Advisory – June 28, 2007

Second Annual Chinatown Redress Rally on Canada Day:

Head Tax Families to Gather at Chinatown Memorial 

Vancouver, BC –  Head Tax Families Society of Canada will mark this Canada Day with the Second Annual Chinatown Redress Rally. They will call on Prime Minister Stephen Harper for an inclusive just and honourable redress to start with good-faith negotiations with representatives of head tax families. 

Time:  10:30am call time – program to begin shortly after

Date:   Sunday July 1, 2007

Place: Memorial to Railway Workers and War Veterans

            Keefer and Columbia (NE corner), Vancouver

The Head Tax Families Society of Canada is today's Canadians on a twenty-three year struggle for an inclusive redress with justice and honour for affected head tax families. Go to www.headtaxfamilies.org for more information.

- 30 -

Contact:

Sid Tan – 604-783-1853

It's been 60 long years since Canadians born of Chinese ancestry were given full franchise voting privileges in the country they were born in. Prior to that they were called "resident aliens." It took their willingness to fight for their country during WW2 and to continue campaigning to recall the "Chinese Exclusion Act" which had followed the Chinese Head Tax. And still they campaigned for an apology.   more »

Here's some news about the Conservative Government's approach to redress. This sounds exactly what the United Nations asked Canada to do a few years ago, when they addressed Canada's refusal to apologize and provide fair redress to the Chinese head tax issue, especially following New Zealand's redress: By Jack Aubry, (From Google Alert) Vancouver Sun, Sunday, June 03, 2007 OTTAWA - The Harper government has quietly dropped the previous Liberal regime's "no apology, no compensation" hard-line in negotiations with ethnic groups seeking redress for past wrongs despite warnings that it would open the door to a possible flurry of claims.   more »