Globe and Mail and ‘Chinese Canadian diaspora’
An article in the Globe and Mail (titled “Chinese-Canadian diaspora fostering bond”) today that talks about nationalism among overseas Chinese. The following is part of the article (and I believe many Canadian readers will once again question the “loyalty” of Chinese immigrants):
For 10 years Cheuk Kwan, has been showered with praise by fellow Chinese Canadians for his regular appearances on community radio shows, where he is known for speaking out against Chinese oppression.
But last March, after the government cracked down on an uprising in Tibet, Mr. Kwan began to notice a profound shift in the attitude of his listeners. They still lit up his phone lines with fervour, though now it was to inform him that his attacks on the Chinese system had become tantamount to slighting the Chinese people themselves.
Suddenly, Mr. Kwan, who arrived in Toronto in 1976 and soon after helped found the influential Chinese Canadian National Council, was tarred as a traitor, a dissident and a rabble rouser. He was accused of “not being Chinese enough.”
“They say don’t touch my motherland. Don’t you want to see China strong?” he says. “They see criticism of the regime as criticism of the people.”
It is a stunning turnaround for Chinese Canadians, who have not traditionally taken a vocal nationalistic position, especially compared with other ethnic communities in Canada.
The Chinese-Canadian diaspora, a vast and diverse population now 1.2 million strong, trickled into this country across several generations and has never been known for its strong attachment to China. It was a nation marked by poverty, chaos, civil war, occupation and communism — hardly the conditions to spark affinity.
But now, as China moves closer to regaining status as a global power, its overseas community has begun fostering a new emotional bond with its homeland. The Olympic Games, in particular, have given Chinese Canadians a focal point, one that has many simultaneously spilling over with pride at China’s success and frustration with the West’s lingering focus on perceived Chinese failings.
“The Olympics by itself is an embodiment of a sort of Chinese coming-out party,” said Mr. Kwan, who said excitement has been mounting throughout the diaspora since China was awarded the Games in 2001.
“The Chinese are looking at the Olympic Games as the kind of washing off of all humiliation and bad things that China used to represent,” he said. “Chinese Canadians still hold dear the fact that they are Chinese. When China becomes a super nation, they feel proud. They feel that their status in society is tied directly to how China is being thought of on the world stage.”
Mr. Kwan, who admits to a new-found sense of pride himself, said he worries the sentiments being expressed will be mistaken for “ugly Chinese nationalism” instead of shows of dignity and cultural pride.
The community’s response to the negative portrayals has been to counter them with an unprecedented show of pro-China demonstrations which have unfolded across the country in ethnic media, online chat forums and most notably, with a protest in Ottawa in April, during which thousands of flag-bearing Chinese Canadians marched on Parliament Hill to rally support for their homeland. Companion protests were held across the country in other major cities, including Montreal and Toronto. Some who attended the Saturday protest in Ottawa — which received little coverage in English language media, including this paper — put numbers of attendees at close to 10,000.
I got interviewed by the Globe on this same topic about 10 days ago (before the opening of the Olympics) but my points didn’t get published. I’m attaching my answers here (so that my time to write them out isn’t wasted :)) for CIV readers.
Q: How close are the ties between Chinese-Canadians and China? Does it differ in terms of what year individuals moved to Canada? Is it generational?
I think the ties between Chinese Canadians and China (as well as Taiwan and Hong Kong) have always been close – familial, cultural and economical. The time of arrival would have little to affect such ties (no matter what you need to fly to and fro to visit your folks, right? Just like me :)) On the economic side, I do believe the large number of PRC immigrants coming to Canada over the last decade helps promote trans-Pacific trades between China and Canada in a big way. We can see more chambers of commerce being set up by PRC immigrants. One interesting observation is that some local born Chinese (or “bananas”) who traditionally have focused their work in North America, have found new opportunities to do business with China through newly made Chinese immigrant friends. However, I don’t know how widespread this trend is… just happen to know a few friends who now fly more frequently to China for business purposes.
Q: Would you say there is a rise in Chinese nationalism in Chinese-Canadian communities or is it simply a case of the mainstream media paying more attention to how Chinese people feel about their heritage and country? Do Chinese-Canadians feel they’ve been badly represented in the media in some instances?
Q: What form does this nationalism take, as far as you can see? How do people express it? What key events, good and bad, are spurring this?
To answer these questions, I reached out to talk to a few Chinese Canadian friends last night and sought their insight. Our common feeling is that we don’t feel there’s a surge in nationalism in the Chinese Canadian community. Other than a few big incidents this year – such as the Tibet riot and the unfair media reporting of the riot; and the Sichuan earthquake – that Chinese Canadians have reacted with great emotions, we really don’t feel a surge in Chinese nationalism or pride in our daily life. Most of the time, people see themselves as immigrants fighting really hard to adapt to a new country and Chinese nationalism is not on the top of the list of things they are concerned of daily.
The relatively strong emotions expressed during the Tibet riot and the Olympic torch run were really more against the western media bias than the incidents themselves. During then, we had a collective feeling that no one in the West wanted to see us as a friendly, peaceful people who were able to think and behave independently from communist China. While the western media portrayed the Tibetans as peace lovers, the innocent Han Chinese being targeted in an obvious race-based riot got little or no sympathy in western media coverage. It’s a kind of feeling that the entire ethnicity has been purposely demeaned and insulted by the west for too long that emotions finally exploded. That’s why the situation united Chinese all over the world.
However, when later the nationalistic feelings in China spilled all over, many of us in Canada could right away sense the danger of excessive nationalism and became more cautious and voices to “cool it down” became the majority.
A few friends I talked to don’t particularly feel “pride” for China hosting the Games. “It’s just a game,” one told me.
“It’s a waste of time and money. China should focus to better people’s lives than to use so much resources on face-painting event like the Games,” said another.
On the contrary, many people I talked to (including myself) think Beijing is too nervous about security that normal lives of the residents are being sacrificed. (e.g. the Beijing city government has asked its residents to “stay home as much as possible during the Games” so that “foreign guests could have more space to walk and enjoy the city” – something like that)
For me, I still remember how elated I was when I heard Jacques Rogge said: “Vancouver!” But when the Beijing bid was announced – and I was in Hong Kong – I didn’t have the same feelings… but I could hear cheers on the streets.
In a recent discussion on a popular online forum frequented by PRC immigrants in Vancouver, I was a little surprised to see a thread: “How many medals do you think our country will get in the Beijing Games?” In there, “our country” is Canada, not China. Both the thread creator and the followers seem to have no problem recognize this as no one questioned “which country?”
Q: Does the Chinese government influence how people in Canada feel? Or is it a question of solidarity with ordinary Chinese citizens? How do immigrants feel about this?
No offense, but this question reflects the most common stereotype the west have on us as a people. I have been asked many times before by various western reporters about how much the Chinese embassy is able to influence us blah blah blah… The answer, really, is NOTHING. As I explained above, it’s more a reaction to being treated unfairly as a group.
