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• SARS Documentation
Project (2003-2004)
• Pan-Asian Anti-Racism Network
(2001-ongoing)
• Re/present: Youth Remake History
Digital Video Project (Winter 2003)
• Get If Off Your Chest! Youth
Project (Summer 2002)
SARS Documentation Project
(2003-2004)
Since news of SARS was released in early March, extensive media coverage
with headlines like “U.N. warns of worldwide threat from killer
ailment” and lack of access to accurate information has targeted
the Chinese community and fuelled anti-Asian sentiments across Canada.
Reportedly originated from Guangdong province, China, the lack of understanding
around this “mystery illness” has resulted in both individual
and systemic forms of discrimination directed towards the Chinese community
in Canada. These incidents range from a significant decrease in business
(50-70%) in restaurants and businesses owned or operated by Asians, to
avoidance of Chinese and other Asian Canadians on transit and other public
spaces, to discrimination by tribunals and employers, to hate mail and
propaganda. During this time, CCNC has advocated for the tolerance and
understanding of all Canadians in the midst of reactionary stereotyping
and backlash.
This project will focus on outreaching to Asian community members and
groups to concretely document their personal experiences of racial harassment
resulting from SARS. The diversified outreach strategy will range from
individual interviews and focus groups, to email and internet submissions.
This enables us to more thoroughly access and capture the range and nature
of personal stories of harassment in the public sphere, both individual
and systemic.
Click on the SARS Final Report for the final report.
Pan-Asian Anti-Racism
Network
(2001-ongoing)
In 2001 - 2002, the Chinese Canadian National Council
(CCNC) worked in collaboration with various Asian Canadian individuals
and organizations throughout the country to coordinate regional and national
meetings of anti-racism advocates. As secretariat of the project, we were
able to collaborate nationally with members of: Canadian Multicultural
Council of Asians in Ontario, INTERCEDE for the Rights of Domestic Workers,
Caregivers, Nannies & Newcomers, Asian Society for the Intervention
of AIDS, National Association of Japanese Canadians, Filipino-Canadian
Youth Alliance, Council of Agencies Serving South Asians, Vancouver Association
of Chinese Canadians.
This historic initiative arose directly out of the UN
World Conference Against Racism (WCAR), where it was discovered that the
lack of networks and sustained contact between Asian Canadian anti-racism
advocates hindered their ability to effectively advocate for community
issues. From the Pan-Asian Project consultations and conferences that
took place in 2001 - 2002, participants from a diverse range of Asian
Canadian communities identified commonalities and shared issues of concern.
Click on the Pan-Asian
Anti-Racism Network Website for more information.
Re/present: Youth Remake
History Digital Video Project
(Winter 2003)
Feeling disconnected? Curious
about how your grandparents and parents grew up? Wanting to learn more
about Chinese Canadian history – from Head Tax, to the Canadian
Pacific Railway, to World War II Veterans, to the first residents of Chinatown?
Now this is your chance to reconnect, and express your own perspective
on history and how it relates to you. This is your chance to be part of
history!
The Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) wants you to be one
of the 6 participants for the Re/present: Youth Remake History Digital
Video Project. We’ll teach you how to develop your ideas into a
script, how to use a digital camera and edit your own 5 minute video to
be premiered in a film festival!
You will get the chance to work in groups and develop your video ideas!
The project includes contextual (on history and representation) and technical
training and workshops, along with first-hand video filming and editing.
Learn to develop video ideas, storyboarding and script writing, shooting
with a digital video camera and editing your videos. Most of all, have
your video be shown in a film festival!
CCNC National would
like to thank the National Film Board Cinema and the Canadian Race Relations
Foundation for their generous support.
Get It Off Your Chest! Youth
Project (Summer
2002)
Get it off your chest. t-shirt design contest
2 wongs make it white? Buddha bash? Wok-n-bowl?
flip the script. make it yourself. get it printed.
What happened?
Abercrombie & Fitch put out a line of t-shirts hoping we'd spend dollars
on what they think Asians are like.
T hink for yourself. Represent yourself.
T -shirt design contest to respond to the stereotypical representation
of East Asians by a large US clothing corporation. Slogans poking fun
at language ability and statements like “Two Wongs can make it white”
need to be addressed.
The objectives of this project are to:
• Counter the anti-Asian T-shirts mentioned above
• Create positive empowering images for Chinese Canadian youth
• Increase youth participation and knowledge by employing new and
creative ways of active self-expression
Design an image and we'll slap the winning designs
on t-shirts and peddle them across the country or, we'll include it in
the launch party where we showcase dj's, spoken word poets and other talents.
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