Vancouver Asian Heritage Month presents…

How does diversity affect collective mobilization?

Photo taken from CTV British Columbia

The Asian Canadian Journalists Association of Vancouver presents CTV’s Mi-Jung Lee, one of B.C.’s most prominent Asian Canadian broadcasters. We’re starting the new semester with our highest-profile reporter yet! Please join us in hearing about Mi-Jung pursuit towards an outstanding career in journalism (click here to read Mi-Jung’s Bio).

If you have any questions, feel free to send an email to the address above, or call Jennifer Chen at604-662-6498.

In solidarity with Japan after the Tsunami devastation, ACCO held The Blob - an art and music event showcasing Asian-Canadian artists, in which 100% of all ticket sales and donation go to the Canadian Red Cross Japan Relief Fund. One of our club executives was serving as a board member on the Telus Vancouver Community Board, so Telus was able to match all our proceeds dollar for dollar. With the generous support of the artists, participants and organizations alike, we were able to raise more than $1500.

Here, we wish to thank all the following organizations who supported this event by providing us with free food:

Tenhachi – check them out on Facebook and Twitter

Sprouts – check them out on their website

With the emphasis on local diets and strengthening regional food systems, what role does the Asian diet play in the 21st Century?  The Richmond Food Security Society is holding a panel discussion on May 24th from 7-9pm at the Richmond Cultural Centre.  The event will showcase artwork by local artist Bard Suen, SharkTruth founder Claudia Li, and RangiChangi Roots Society co-founder Kevin Washbrook.

Come join us for what is sure to be a stimulating and controversial discussion!  More information provided below.

All ages; Free admission
For more information email Arzeena Hamir at arzeenahamir@shaw.ca or call 604-727-9728.

A nonprofit called Shark Truth has launched a wedding contest to encourage couples to not serve shark fin soup at their banquets and is rewarding couples with some awesome prizes. Will you check out the Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding contest? See more details on contest rules below.
Grand Prize for Canadian residents (most votes):Honeymoon getaway to Oahu, Hawaii for a cage dive with sharks.
Camera Prize for International and Canadian entrants(random draw):  A waterproof digital camera.

Criteria for entrants:

• The couple must be holding a Chinese-style wedding banquet (at a Chinese restaurant or is serving Chinese cuisine) OR have at least one spouse be of partial or full Chinese descent.
• Wedding banquet must have occurred or occur between April 2010 and December 2011

How does the contest work?

1. Make a pledge to protect sharks and Stop the Soup at your wedding banquet by taking shark fin off the menu
2. Eligible couples (see website for more details) fill out a wedding contest form and send in a photo entry
3. Photo entries will be posted on their Facebook fan page on contest launch date April 27th
4. Get your friends and family to vote for you on Facebook until June 6th
5. You are entered for a chance to win one of these amazing prizes
6. Contest winners will be announced on World Oceans Day, June 8th

Contest opens April 27th, 2011
Contest closes June 6th, 2011
Winners announced June 8th, 2011

Sign up now or find out more athttp://happyheartslovesharks.org/

Questions and comments? Email cecile@sharktruth.com

Link to post card on shark fin soup:http://www.sharktruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Post-Card-FULL.pdf
Link to the Cdn flyer: http://www.sharktruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ST_HHLS_Wedding_Contest_2011_Flyer.pdf
Link to the Int’l flyer: http://www.sharktruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/ST_HHLS_Wedding_Contest_2011_Flyercamera.pdf

Last year, Shark Truth diverted 4, 300 bowls of shark fin soup from consumption (an estimated 430 sharks) through the contest. With your help, they can reach their goal of doubling that number to 7, 200 bowls.

Spread http://happyheartslovesharks.org to your friends and family!

Thank you for your support

The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS) will be hosting the second annual Art Exhibition, Generation:1, at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre this May/June.  With UBC as their title sponsor, they hope to showcase the artwork of local Pan-Asian Canadian artists.

This year Generation:1 will collaborate with both professional and emerging artists to carry out an art exhibition that strives to foster communication among artists from different Asian regions and generations. From May 2nd to June 25th, a group of featuring professional artists will exhibit their work in the main hallway of Irving K. Barber Centre. From May 2nd to June 5th, there will be the First Wave of artists from Dimasalang III group and UBC’s Visual Art students displaying their artworks on the walls of the IKE’S CAFE. Starting June 6th to June 25th, the second wave of emerging artists who submitted their entry form prior to May 15th may also be able to participate in Generation:1.

As an encouragement for the second wave of emerging artists, VAHMS will give out cash prize of $100 each for three artists who can collect the most votes during the period of exhibition. These awards will be presented to the winning artists at our closing ceremony.

Artists interested in participating should submit an application here!

More information about the featured artists after the break!

(more…)

Thank you to everyone attended and supported our third annual performing and visual arts festival, The Blob, which helped to fundraise for the earthquake relief effort in Japan. The Blob is part of ACCO’s efforts to utilize art, music and food to engage people cross-culturally in ways that address pertinent Pan-Asian Canadian issues.

Thanks to support from organizations like you, the Blob raised over $1500 dollars in under 3 hours after matching by Telus.  All funds have been donated to the Canadian Red Cross, watch out in the upcoming weeks for more updates!

-ACCO Executive

STEREOTYPES DON’T DEFINE US

An Unconference

March 21, the International Day for the Elimination of Racism

UBC’s Equity Ambassadors are hosting an Unconference this Monday, March 21st, in the Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge!  As part of the International Day for the Elimination of Racism, there will discussion about a variety of topics.  Please check out the information below, and the included FaceBook event page!

Add your voice… Join the conversation.

Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge & Resource Centre

2205 Lower Mall, Building 1

Food and refreshments will be available.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=194018200632416&index=1

Concurrent sessions:

12:00 – 1:30    White supremacy and Asians in the Library

Hosted by WAY TOO AZN

From Maclean’s “Too Asian?” article to Alexandra Wallace’s recent viral Anti-Asian YouTube rant, how are students and faculty reacting to this latest stream of sensational racialized stories? Come join a lively discussion exploring topics from dissecting “Asian” as a group to white supremacy as a structure.

2:15 – 3:15     Hate comes to Orange County: 3 Media Perspectives

Hosted by the Muslim Students Association and Colour Connected Against Racism

The recent rise of xenophobia and, specifically Islamaphobia, will be analyzed through media depictions in the US and Canada. A recent article in the Vancouver Sun about Vancouver’s Muslim community will also be analyzed.

3:30 – 5:00     Closing Panel and Reception

Exposing Stereotypes in Dating and Relationships!

Hosted by St. John’s College

Do racial stereotypes affect your dating life? How do gender and sexual stereotypes play a role in your relationships? Even when you choose not to be defined by stereotypes, are you still bound to them by the rest of society? How can we break those moulds and not allow them to dictate our behaviour, especially when dating and choosing our partners? In this concluding session, we will discuss how stereotypes of gender, race, class, and sexual orientation intersect when it comes to dating.