The Chinese Vote in Vancouver: NPA, Vision Vancouver or COPE?

The Vancouver Sun has run an article titled Vision trying to lure Chinese voters away from NPA on today's page B5.  But the article does not identify a distinction between Chinese immigrant voters and the multigenerational Chinese Canadians born and raised in Canada.

The reporter Frances Bula, had interviewed me on Friday afternoon asking me about whether Vision Vancouver can capture some of the traditional Chinese vote in Vancouver.  I immediately asked "Which Chinese community vote are you talking about?"

"Raymond Louie, is the first Vancouver born City Councillor," I told Frances Bula, who was surprised at the fact. Bill Yee was the first Chinese elected to council but he wasn't born in Vancouver.  "Sandra Wilking was the first Chinese woman councillor but was born in South Africa. Jenny Kwan was the first COPE councillor but was born in Hong Kong.

"We have to go back to Douglas Jung in 1957" to find a Chinese Canadian politician born in Vancouver."  Jung was Canada's first Member of Parliament.  Even Art Lee, elected in the 1970's had come from Alberta.

"We are what I call the 'invisible visible-minority', multi-generational Canadian born chinese, who have integrated and assimilated into the mainstream," I told the reporter.

"How do I vote?  I vote according to the person, rather than strictly along party lines.  It's important to have a healthy opposition in government, or on civic council  That's why people kept voting for Harry Rankin.

"I like Ellen Woodsworth of COPE, and Heather Deal of Vision Vancouver.  I've gotten to know them since they were elected.  I know both Sam Sullivan and Jim Green - Sam has supported our Asian Canadian Writers Workshop dinners, and Jim has helped us with the Save Kogawa House campaign.  Anne Roberts, Peter Ladner, along with Woodsworth and Sullivan also attended my Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner earlier this year. They are all wonderful human beings."

"I first got to know Raymond Louie through his wife, when she was on the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society.  Raymond, like all my cousins on my mom's side - all married caucasians." This surprised the reporter.

Raymond wants to be more than just "the Chinese councillor" - more importantly, he identifies himself as a Canadian who happens to be of Chinese ethnicity, as I do.  I can actually say this about many multi-generational ethnic Canadians, because we think Canadian first!  And we are better able to cross ethnic lines this way, and better able to understand all cultures.

Raymond's family has been in Vancouver for a long time.  We gave shared stories about early Chinatown experiences.  George Chow's grandfather paid the head tax, and he immigrated to Vancouver in the 1960's.  Personally, I don't expect the newer immigrant counsellor candidates to understand some of these issues about head tax or the experiences of the pioneer chinese of the 1800's and early 1900's.  But I think Raymond and George can.  They are also people I can relate to and trust.  Then again, I can't expect myself to understand a lot of the immigrant Chinese issues.  But because I am more familiar with Chinese culture, and work with and know a lot of immigrant Chinese, I am probably more knowledgeable than somebody who is non-Chinese and hasn't experienced similar issues.

Raymond I and were both at the opening of the 3 Chinese Canadian Pioneer Familes exhibit at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and archives in 2002.  I am descended from Rev. Chan Yu Tan, and he is a distant relative of H.Y. Louie, who were both featured along with Lee-Bick, the ancestor of former UBC Counsellor and Vancouver businessman Bob Lee.

I think that it is a myth that the Chinese vote traditionally goes to the NPA, and it may be simply that the NPA were better at recruiting candidates such as Tung Chan, Don Lee, and Daniel Lee, who as native Chinese speakers were better able to speak to Chinese media.  Even the Chinese Canadian voters didn't fully support Douglas Jung in his re-election bid, nor did Don Lee and Daniel Lee get re-elected in the last civic election, even though Raymond Louie was elected.

I know that I have also had the pleasure to meet Alan Wong and John Cheng, the COPE and NPA Vancouver School Board Trustees.  They are also both wonderful men, but I relate a bit better to Alan maybe because he grew up here in Canada, and we are closer in age.

I think that when people vote, they want the people who can best represent their interests.  And this may also mean voting for people that come from similar backgrounds, hence immigrants may be more likely to vote for other immigrants of similar background.  But they may also vote for people who are multigenerational, and represent how their children will grow up as integrated Canadians and Vancouverites.

I forgot to tell the reporter that I'll be attending the Libby Davies' COPE chinese dinner fundraiser on November 10th at the Rich Ocean Seafood Chinese Restaurant on 777 West Broadway.  It's being organized by my friend Meena Wong, who is helping COPE as a chinese voter strategist.  And I may even be wearing my kilt as a performer with my accordion.  How Chinese is that?  Not very.... but very multicultural Vancouver!