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 »

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:



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)

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'

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.

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.

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:

Roy Miki wins SFU's Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of CONTROVERSY

l-r: Rev. Tim Nakayama, Roy Miki, Joy Kogawa and Todd Wong 
- at the inaugural One Book One Vancouver event for Obsasan May 2005.

Congratulations to Roy Miki, English professor at Simon Fraser University,
and noted advocate for Japanese Canadian Redress.  This has been quite
the year for Roy, as he was awarded the Order of Canada earlier this year.

Roy Miki, truly is an amazing person.  His book of poetry "Surrender" recieved
the Governor General's Award for Poetry in 2005.  I first met him in 1994, when
I interviewed him for an article about Asian Canadian arts and culture in the
SFU student newspaper The Peak.  

Last year our paths crossed several times, at the opening event for One Book One 
Vancouver when Joy Kogawa's book Obasan was presented. Roy has been an advisor 
for the Kogawa House Committee, and read at events for the Save Kogawa House 
campaign, such as the Joy Kogawa Emily Kato book launch, and the Chapters 
event titled Joy Kogawa & Friends.  

In 2005, Roy was the featured speaker for the UBC/Laurier Institution lecture on 
Multiculturalism, which I reviewed.  During the last federal election, I read his book
Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadian redress movement.  It's an incredible read,
and I found it very pertinent to my advocacy role for Chinese Canadian head tax redress.

The following message is from Simon Fraser University:

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!

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!

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team had a season wrap up dinner last night. 

Guess what?  We cooked Haggis Won Ton!!!

many hands make haggis won ton	the boiled version	close up
The haggis has been thawed and mixed with chopped celery. Steven, Ernest, Queenie, Angie & Jane...	presentation is everything. Ernest displays the goods.

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

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.

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!

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.

Analysis

Asian-history anniversaries begin to coalesce

By charlie cho

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.

Janice Chow - my wonderful artist/family historian / cook book cousin sends me this great news!

---

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

	Guest with opera singer Jessica Cheung - photo Deb Martin
	Tamsin Baker and Catherine of the TLC - photo Deb Martin
	and the best news is!! - photo Deb Martin

	The rain can't hold us back! Todd Wong on accordion, Jessica Cheung vocals, Masako Watanabe on Guitar, Harry Aoki on double bass - photo Deb Martin
	Todd Wong and Jessica Cheung performing "the Farewell Song" from Naomi's Road Opera- 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 Martin

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 »

Here's a news release about my animator friend Jeff Chiba Stearns.
Jeff is cool.  Check him out, and his short animated film 
"What Are You Anyways?"  I have featured the film at the Vancouver Public 
Library for the Joy Kogawa book launch for Emily Kato, and also at the
2006 Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Robbie Burns Chinese New Year
Dinner.



Above is a picture of two stills from "What Are You Anyways?"
For more stories about Jeff on www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com  click on:
http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blog?cmd=search&keywords=jeff+chiba+stearns



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 17, 2006

KELOWNA ANIMATOR WINS BEST ANIMATED SHORT AT NATIONAL ANIMATION AWARDS SHOW

Animation filmmaker and Kelowna resident, Jeff Chiba Stearns, took home the 
award for Best Animated Short Subject for his film, “What Are You Anyways?” 
at the first annual Canadian Awards for Electronic and Animated Arts 
(CAEAA).  The awards show, described as the Oscars of the Canadian video 
game and animation industry, was hosted by actor William Shatner of Star 
Trek fame on Thursday night, September 14th, at the world class River Rock 
Show Theatre in Richmond, BC.   Awards were presented in 37 categories in 
three sectors of the Electronic and Animated Arts industry: talent 
development (New Media and Animation Art Schools), animation, and video game 
development.  Each winner was presented with an Elan – a statuette similar 
to an Oscar but constructed of a majestic man and a woman resembling Greek 
gods holding up the world.

The evening was complete with red carpet, limousines, and Hollywood 
treatment.  The Gala event, with over 700 guests, was similar to the Golden 
Globe Awards with an Oscar-like glitzy reception and black-tie dinner at one 
of the best new theatres in North America with industry sponsors 
participating in the development of the show and celebrity guest presenters. 

It is expected that the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts 
will become the standard by which Canada and the rest of the World recognizes 
the amazing talent and product that this country is delivering to 
an enormous and ever-growing market.

Chiba Stearns attended the event with faculty from the Centre for Arts and 
Technology Kelowna where he instructs classical hand drawn animation 
courses.  His classically animated short film, “What Are You Anyways?” is an 
autobiographical recollection of Chiba Stearns’ life experiences growing up 
in Kelowna being a Hapa – a world-wide term used to describe someone of 
mixed Asian decent.  In Chiba Stearns’ case, he is half-Japanese and 
half-Caucasian. The film, released in 2005, has experienced incredible 
international praise winning over 7 awards and screening at over 35 
international film festivals to date.  Chiba Stearns has since become an 
international spokesman for Hapa advocacy by writing articles and lecturing 
at conferences, universities, and workshops about mixed-race identity and 
issues.

“I am extremely honored and excited to receive an Elan for Best Animated 
Short Subject at the 2006 CAEAA Awards.  It means a great deal to be 
recognized by my peers in the Canadian animation industry for the work I am 
doing in independent classical animation.  So many people from around the 
world respond to how much they relate to my film and in turn share their own 
stories with me.  I can only hope for continued success with all my future 
projects and that my work will continue to touch the lives of people around 
the world.”  - Jeff Chiba Stearns

Currently, Chiba Stearns is in pre-development of two short animated films 
and a documentary on Hapa children.  Look for new work by Chiba Stearns to 
be released in 2007.  Check out www.myspace.com/jeffchibastearns for current 
updates.  DVD copies of “What Are Y