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Welcome to GungHaggisFatChoy.com
Home to my passions for my inter-cultural adventures, Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner event. Save Kogawa House campaign, Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team, Find what you are looking for by 1) scroll the topics links, 2) use the search function ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team for lots of summer fun, fitness and friendship. We are a social team full of cultural vigor, that likes to eat. We have been featured on television, local, national and international. We have a unique and internationally famous fundraiser dinner event. We practice Sunday 1:30 pm -3:30 pm Tuesday 6pm-7:45pm Wednesday 6pm - 7:45 pm We meet at Dragon Zone clubhouse - just south of Science World in Creekside Park above the Aquabus and dragon boat docks. Our coach Todd Wong has 15+ years of experience including novice, recreational and competitive levels, and both community and corporate teams. Our 2005 Season brought us the David Lam Award for being the team that best represented the multicultural spirit of the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, and Bronze medals at the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race. In 2007, we won Gold in B Division at Vernon Races. For more information: Click on Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dragon Boat team information phone: 604-987-7124- e-mail: gunghaggis at yahoo dot ca ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2009 TICKETS Available in October 2008 WHAT: GUNG HAGGIS FAT CHOY: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner - 12th Annual Dinner, celebrating 250th Anniversary of Robert Burns' birth + Chinese New Year's Eve. WHEN: 6PM January 25 2009, SUNDAY doors open 5pm WHERE: Floata Chinese Restaurant, #400-180 Keefer St. CULTURE: Our Performers create something special for us every year with traditional and contemporary performances featuring everything in-between and beyond! FOOD: A quirky fusion/mix/buffet of Scottish Canadian and Chinese Canadian culture 10 course Chinese banguet dinner 2004 - The debut of Gung Haggis Won-Ton 2005 - Haggis lettuce wrap! 2007 - Haggis dim sum appetizer buffet 2008 - Scotch tastings! Watch for more surprises in 2008! Description of 2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner featuring performers: Rick Scott & Harry Wong, The Shirleys, Joe McDonald & Brave Waves, Sean Gunn, author Joy Kogawa, with co-host Prem Gill . Media Inquiries Call Gung Haggis Productions 604-987-7124 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sponsors
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Saturday, September 30
by
Todd
on Sat 30 Sep 2006 11:58 PM PDT
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 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. more »
Thursday, September 28
by
Todd
on Thu 28 Sep 2006 02:30 PM PDT
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:
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?
by
Todd
on Thu 28 Sep 2006 02:19 PM PDT
'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' Wednesday, September 27
by
Todd
on Wed 27 Sep 2006 11:52 PM PDT
Fred Wah is new Writer-in-Residence for SFU 2006-2007 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.
by
Todd
on Wed 27 Sep 2006 11:48 PM PDT
Roy Miki wins SFU's Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of CONTROVERSY The Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of
CONTROVERSY In 1993 Nora and Ted Sterling established a prize at Simon Fraser University to honor "work which challenges complacency and that provokes controversy or contributes to its understanding." Please join us for presentation of the 2006 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy to Roy Miki Recognizing his long pursuit of justice and fairness in seeking redress for the wrongs inflicted upon Canadians of Japanese descent during the Second World War. A professor of English at Simon Fraser University and winner of the 2002 Governor-General's award for poetry, Dr. Miki will read from, and discuss, his work. Transformations: The language of redress Wednesday, October 11, 7 pm Reception follows SFU Vancouver Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue 580 West Hastings Street (enter from Seymour St. courtyard) Sponsored by the Vice-president, Academic. Information: www.sfu.ca/sterlingprize. This event is free but reservations are required: call 604.291.5100 or email cs_hc@sfu.ca. -- Susan Jamieson-McLarnon Director, Public Relations Simon Fraser University Vancouver 515 West Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6B 5K3 (604)291-5151/3210 Sunday, September 24
by
Todd
on Sun 24 Sep 2006 11:58 PM PDT
It was a fun day, at Word On the Street
I always check out Word on the Street Book and Magazine fair, held annually at Library Square on the third Sunday of September. I arrived to find Ian Hannomansing of CBC TV's Canada Now, introducing the national librarian of Canada - Mr. Roch Carrier, author of the classic children's book (and NFB animated short), "The Hockey Sweater." My girlfriend Deb spent some time volunteering at the Kogawa House display, organized by The Land Conservancy of BC. It was only a year ago, that Joy Kogawa's childhood home was threatened with demolition, the same weekend that WOTS occured last year, and we presented Joy with a Community Builder Award, from the Asian Canadian Writers's Workshop at the Ricepaper magazine 10th Anniversary Dinner. What a difference a year makes. We couldn't stay long because we had to pop off to a dragon boat practice, but returned immediately after practice. We arrived back at the mainstage with a few dragon boat paddlers in tow, just in time to watch the IMPROvisors on the mainstage in the south plaza of Library Square. What a surprise to see Diana Bang performing! I first met Diana while she was performing with her "other" sketch comedy group - Assaulted Fish (a salted fish - get it?) I dropped by the tent for Ricepaper magazine and Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop at the Magazine Mews. It was great to see friends Don Montgomery and the Ricepaper gang. A big surprise to see my cousin/author Janice Wong signing copies of her book CHOW: From China to Canada - memories of food and family. So sorry I missed seeing Evelyn Lau who had been at the tent from 1-2pm. Up the street at the Harbour Publishing tent, I got a nice hug from my friend Marisa Alps. I first met her when I interviewed her for a 1995 article I wrote about Asian Canadian writing and the Go For Broke Revue (the precursor to explorAsian's Asian Heritage Month Festival in Vancouver). I bought several "hurt" copies of The BC Almanac Book of Greatest British Columbians. It's a great book, and I can remember showing Joy Kogawa her listing under the chapter Top 10 Authors. Then just a few feet away from me at the Tradewind Books tent, I spot my friend Elizabeth Sheffrin - usually known as a textile artist. She created the wonderful Middle East Peace Quilt. It turns out that Elizabeth is now a book illustrator for Abby's Birds, written by Ellen Schwartz. The book isn't out in stores yet - but Tradewind did have copies at the tent. And Trevor Lai always has his booth set up, where he draws pictures of Ralphy the Rhino. Trevor has self-published a series of children's books following Ralphy's adventures. Trevor is an amazingly talented artist, who can whip up large sketches and tell a story as kids listen and follow intently. Just before I left, I bumped into Ron Mah, who was carrying petition for the Chinese Head Tax Redress. It's important that a true redress honours each head tax certificate -not just the surviving head tax payers and spouses who are still alive. And I even saw an accordion performed today. Poet Rowan Lipkovits did a reading at the Poetry Tent, accompanied with a small accordion. At the end of the day, we bumped into each other and shared some accordion talk. He e-mailed me later... with an idea to perform together for Co-Op Radio... something about an accordion program. Sounds interesting! Wow! What a day!
by
Todd
on Sun 24 Sep 2006 11:53 PM PDT
On Sunday afternoon - we had a great paddle.
Keng, Gerard, Teresa, Stephen M., Tzhe, Barbara, Steven W., Rita, Joe and myself showed up to paddle, Deb steered. We went all the way to Cambie St. Bridge - with a short rest to simulate Ernest jumping out of the boat on the beach to grab a traffic cone, then jump back in the boat - then we paddled back to Dragon Zone - all to do a dry run for UBC Day of the Long Boat - about 1500m. Coming back to the dock, we found Pirates paddlers Ian and Cory - who had just finished attending "Body Worlds 3" at Science World - stepping onto an Aquabus. They asked us for a ride to Granville Island (of course we made them paddle), and Dan joined us too! Again - we paddled all the way to Cambie St. Bridge, paused for a short rest to simulate Ernest hopping out to grab a traffic cone. Then we paddled all the way to Granville Island. We made good time with only 13 paddlers. We are doing a longer stroke with a "kick" before the exit. Excellent for creating a glide. These paddlers are going to take it up to the next level for a strong foundation for next year's team! And then Deb and I hopped back over the The Word on The Street - to check out the displays, say hi to friends, and buy some great books!
by
Todd
on Sun 24 Sep 2006 11:48 PM PDT
The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team had a season wrap up dinner last night.
Guess what? We cooked Haggis Won Ton!!!
Check out photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/53803790@N00/ A BIG BIG thank you to paddler Dan for hosting the team bbq. Dan is a 2nd year paddler who has really blossomed as a paddler. He loves the sport so much now, that last year in his rookie season he joined a team going to San Francisco. This year, in addition to paddling 7 events with Gung Haggis, he also paddled in Calgary and Kelowna with Acme Dragons, and will soon be going to Philadelphia to paddle dragon boats. We love Dan, and we are happy to share him. He has a real big heart! And that's what we want on our team - good hearted people with big hearts! It was great that we had 30 people there, with so many absentees sending good wishes. This year we built up a large roster of paddlers for the team. We did not have to go outside our roster for races at Lotus Barnet, ADBF Regatta, Alcan, Vancouver Taiwanese, or Vernon races. We joined up with Tacoma for the False Creek Women's regatta and with the Pirates for Victoria. In Kent we brought a full crew with paddlers from 4 other teams, but only at the Cultus Lake Women's regatta did we have to "borrow" paddlers for our races. Deb and I constantly this year, had said - "this is the best Gung Haggis team ever!" Unfortunately - no medals for the team this year - but really good friends, great times, overnight road trips (Kent, Vernon, Victoria), lots of paddle events (9). WOW! This was the first time we ever cooked haggis at a team event. Usually we do a wrap up at a Chinese restaurant - but we never ever brought out a haggis other than the BIG Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Robbie Burns Chinese New Year dinner. Special thanks to Deb and Ernest for bringing the haggis and the won-ton wrappings, for everybody pitching in to wrap, and for Jane cooking the won tons, boiled, deep-fried, + boiled haggis (pictures to come). Special thanks to Julie, for teaching Polynesian Dancing, and to Marian for playing Nova Scotian tunes on my accordion. We will have to do something for the next kilts night at Doolin's on Oct 5th. Maybe at 8pm - we can do our singalongs. Special thanks to Rita for creating the photo montage. It's a wonderful collection of memories from our paddling summer. Hopefully we can create a 8 1/2 X 11 photo for everybody. Deb and I are very thankful to the team for the this gift and the many others, for our efforts in coaching and managing this wonderfully fun dragon boat team. It was great hearing everybody singing together for "When Asian Eyes Are Smiling" and "My Haggis Lies Over the Ocean", + Loch Lomand (You Take the High Road). And... wonderful to hear Ernest singing Auld Lang Syne in mandarin Chinese. Many many more thanks to everybody for attending, contributing and being a part of our special team spirit. Peace & Blessings, Todd
by
Todd
on Sun 24 Sep 2006 11:09 AM PDT
Word On The Street - Book and Magazine fair at Library Square!
It's the annual Word on the Street Book and Magazine fair. Come to Library Square on Sunday Sept 24th. There's lots of activities, performers, readers, book sellers, displays. check out the program: http://www.thewordonthestreet.ca/van_events.php One of my favorite annual events is Haiku Night in Canada. It's kind of a slam poetry event, where performers/writers "face-off" against each other, go through elimination rounds, and end up a winner. My friend Fiona Tinwei Lam will be there reading. She is the author of a poetry collection titled "Intimate Distances." Ricepaper magazine and Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop will have display at the Magazine Mews. The wrap-up event for One Book One Vancouver, for the Vancouver Public Library, will take place. Last year, it was highly emotionally charged because we had just discovered that Joy Kogawa's childhood home was threatened with demolition. And Joy's book Obasan, was the 2005 OBOV choice. Friday, September 22
by
Todd
on Fri 22 Sep 2006 05:20 PM PDT
Hmmm... what do I see tonight?
Margaret Cho or Sheryl Crow? Both are performing in Vancouver Tonight. Cho is a headliner for the Vancouver Comedy Festival, at the Orpheum Theatre. Sheryl Crow is on tour with John Mayer, playing at the Pacific Coliseum. Margaret Cho is that fabulous comedian, and star of that former American sitcom tv show All America Girl, which tried to portray a Korean-American family. The misguided producers actually hired a consultant to help Cho became more "Asian." Cho went through depression, after the show was cancelled, and rebuilt herself into a stunning comedienne with hit shows such as "I'm the One that I Want," and "Revolution" - filled with her biting satire, wit and commentary on race issues in America. Sheryl Crow is the rocker, who is also known as Lance Armstrong's latest ex, as well as the singer/songwriter of such hits as All I Want to Do, Strong Enough, and Soak Up the Sun. I really like Crow's rootsy approach to music, with feet in folk, rock and country. She even produced Dixie Chicks' version of Landslide, originally written by Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac fame. So this Friday night, Margaret Cho or Sheryl Crow? Asian American social issues or good rockin' music with a rootsy feel? Well... John Mayer is opening for Sheryl. A good pop musician who can really play the blues with Eric Clapton or BB King. Ticket bought... going to see Sheryl. And she's even a breast cancer survivor too! Gotta love a gal who can play the accordion! Thursday, September 21
by
Todd
on Thu 21 Sep 2006 05:29 PM PDT
Chinese Canadian history is alive and well in Vancouver and really beginning a renaissance. The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC (I am a member) is active. The Vancouver Public Library has been doing great stuff with their Chinese Canadian genealogy website. The Chinatown Revitalization Committee is active. And the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Familes are active.
Check this nice article by Charlie Cho in the Georgia Straight. Charlie interviews leading Vancouver Chinatown historians such as Dr. Henry Yu of UBC, and Jim Wong-Chu. They talk about the historic Anti-Asian riots in 1907 by the Anti-Asiatic League of Vancouver. It was a scary night in Vancouver. A while back, I talked with tailor Bill Wong of Modernize Tailors, and he referred to it as Vancouver's own "Crystal Night" because so many store windows were broken. AnalysisAsian-history anniversaries begin to coalesceHistory is never neutral. Framing is everything. Take Vancouver’s anti-Asian riots of 1907. On September 7 of that year, the Asiatic Exclusion League led a parade to City Hall at Main and Hastings streets, calling for an end to Asian immigration to British Columbia. More than 8,000 people, including local politicians, labour leaders, and members of fraternal organizations, rallied with banners reading Stand for a White Canada. Only 2,000 could fit in City Hall, so crowds drifted to Chinatown, a block away. A rock thrown through a store window touched off a rampage of smashed signs and glass, and looting that continued into neighbouring Japantown, where the crowd faced some resistance before police showed up to quell the violence. In the following days, Chinese and Japanese armed themselves with guns, preparing for another siege. They held a general strike, refusing to go to their jobs in homes, restaurants, and mills. William Lyon Mackenzie King, then federal deputy minister of labour, held hearings on the riot. Almost a year later, damages were awarded: $26,000 to the Chinese, $9,000 to the Japanese. Henry Yu, an associate professor of history at UBC, sees 2007 not just as the 100th anniversary of the 1907 riots but marking three other key years in the history of Asian immigration to Pacific Canada: 1947, 1967, and 1997.
by
Todd
on Thu 21 Sep 2006 05:17 PM PDT
Here's an article by Allen Garr from the Vancouver Courier.
Allen came to the open house at Kogawa House on Sunday, September 17th. The Courier has written some great articles about Kogawa House and followed the campaign to save the house from demolition. pictures of Joy Kogwa with her childhood friend Ralph Steeves are on this web site and www.kogawahouse.com ____________________________________________________________________________ Kogawa house a new miracle By Allen Garr We tend to value things more when they are stolen from us. Quite ordinary things can become symbols of opportunities lost or injustices suffered. The rare occasion when they are recovered is cause for reflection and celebration. The small bungalow at 1450 West 64th Ave. in Marpole was such a stolen item. It has no particular architectural importance. Most of the other houses like it in that neighbourhood were torn down years ago and replaced by Vancouver Specials. But it has an enduring quality. At the beginning of the Second World War, the Nakayama family lived there: mom and dad with their daughter Joy and son Timothy. Then came the war and Pearl Harbour and, as we all now know, hundreds of families like the Nakayamas were branded enemies of Canada, rounded up and evacuated from their homes. The Nakayamas were shipped to the B.C. interior. Ralph Steeves says the day his "school chum" Joy disappeared from his life, he came home from lunch to find his mother in tears over what had happened. His father, who headed a construction crew, was dispatched to the PNE grounds. His job was to convert the horse barns into stalls big enough to handle the Japanese-Canadian families until they were packed out of town. Steeves says when his dad realized what he was being asked to do, he walked off the job. The small bungalow was sold for $1,400 and changed hands several times over the years. Joy eventually became a writer, married David Kogawa and moved to Toronto. But that building never left her thoughts. Once as a teenager she wrote to the owners of the property. Could they tell her if the house ever came up for sale? She received no response. During the '60s and '70s, whenever she managed to get back to Vancouver, she would go by the house. There was a still a cherry tree in the back yard, the one she remembered as a child. In 1981, Joy Kogawa's novel Obasan was published. It was a fictionalized account of her life in that house and the years of displacement she and her family suffered through. A decade later Kogawa was in the neighbourhood again and, this time, she knocked on the door. The owner invited her in for a tour. Three years ago, a "for sale" sign turned up on the house. It was about to change hands again. Kogawa and her friends held a reading from Obasan in front of the building to say goodbye. But it didn't end there. A year ago the owners seemed intent on demolishing the building. The COPE council of the day moved a motion to delay the permit for 120 days and allow The Land Conservancy (TLC) to raise funds and buy the property. The building would be used to support a writer in residence to produce works dealing with injustice. The owner was willing to co-operate. Enough money was raised. TLC now owns the property and last Sunday held an open house to celebrate. I arrived to find a diminutive Joy Kogawa, glasses perched well down her nose, leaning against a high table comparing notes with Shirley Zawalykut. Zawalykut drove in from Delta after reading a Courier story reprinted in the Sun along with a photo of the house. "I told my husband: That's my grandma's house." Zawalykut lived there too when she was a child in the '50s. Then I met Steeves, who pointed to a scar above his eye he got in a childhood game with his chum. He said he was mentioned in Obasan as the kid who taught Joy to light matches and just about burned the house down. The cherry tree is still there at the yard at the edge of the lane and it's in dreadful shape. It is diseased and split. A week ago a garbage truck ripped off one of the few remaining healthy branches. But a cutting was rooted and planted at city hall as a reminder of what was lost and what has been recovered. "Just like a miracle," Zawalykut called it. published on 09/20/2006
by
Todd
on Thu 21 Sep 2006 04:59 PM PDT
Janice Chow - my wonderful artist/family historian / cook book cousin sends me this great news!
Hello Todd, I'm happy to announce that CHOW received the gold award in the Cuisine Canada + University of Guelph's Culinary Book Awards, Canadian Food Culture category...the category that celebrates books that "best illustrate Canada's rich culinary heritage and food culture." If you're in Vancouver on Sunday Sept. 24th, you can catch me at the Ricepaper magazine booth (2 - 6 pm) at Word On The Street, Vancouver's Annual Book and Magazine Fair, on the street, Vancouver Public Library main branch. If you're in Gibsons on Saturday Sept. 23rd, I'm reading at the first annual New Moon Festival of Asian Art and Culture. All the best, Janice ![]() Wednesday, September 20
by
Todd
on Wed 20 Sep 2006 01:53 PM PDT
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by
Todd
on Wed 20 Sep 2006 12:26 PM PDT
Open House event at Joy Kogawa House, September 17th. photographs posted on Flickr.com - click on the photograph for a larger picture Kogawa House Time Line from 1915, to 1942 internment, to 2003 sale, to 2005 demolition threat, to 2006 Preservation! - photo Deb Martin Joy smiles at the special musical performance while she sits at the book signing table- photo Deb Martin
Some of the guests watch the performance as it is filmed for a CBC Generations film documentary - photo Deb Martin Joy talks to the cherry tree and gives it some loving manure fertilizer - photo Deb MartinMonday, September 18
by
Todd
on Mon 18 Sep 2006 11:42 PM PDT
Here are some pictures that were taken at the Richmond Terry Fox Run on Sept 17, 2006.
Terry Fox, bagpipes, face painting, + lots of participants!
Click on the blue titles for larger viewing. PICTURES! more »
by
Todd
on Mon 18 Sep 2006 01:54 PM PDT
Here's a news release about my animator friend Jeff Chiba Stearns. | ||||||||||||
















