[GB] Whose History? Our History or the Media’s…
Sid Tan (Chow Ming Fai) is Media producer and board member of W2 Community Media Arts Society
www.creativetechnology.org which is scheduled to move into the historic Woodward’s building this summer.”
To clearly stand out a guest blogger entry, all such headlines will begin with [GB]
Media and how Chinese Canadian history will be understood cannot be understated, particularly if we accept history is gleaned from archives of newspapers, radio and television. What are the implications of today’s new media archives to how our life and times will be understood a year, decade or hundred years from now?
This is a concern raised by my recently concluded public exchange chat thread on www.ChineseInVancouver.ca website on a Guest Blog titled “Why Chinese Canadian History Matters?” I responded to the writer’s inaccuracies and omissions of fact in his interpretation of the history of the redress movement. The writer places himself and his friends (seemingly by themselves) as having reversed a government decision leading to a partial redress. The pertinent exchange is at the end of these comments.
Later, viewing at a test screening of the upcoming film Redress Remix twigged how new media practice easily begets a meme-like history in quick fashion unlike traditional media. In the film, the narrator describes an individual who was “…for years” involved in the redress movement. In fact, the individual was involved for three or four months as Chinese language spokesperson and was removed for being off message. This begs the question how did the film’s researchers came to the conclusion the individual was involved for years?
In conversation before the film with a friend whose day job is senior communications adviser, we discussed how today’s new media gives rise to an immediate social history. Websites and blogs such as Susanna Ng’s Chinese In Vancouver, Todd Wong’s Gung Haggis and David Wong’s the Ugly Chinese Canadians and Elwin Xie’s Foo’s Ho Ho will be providing the archives that future researchers will mine for today’s social and political history.
My communications friend advised me to always set the record straight immediately if possible lest it become accepted and transmitted. Easily said but often requires much time and effort. Also, it’s not possible to know what’s being written in all blogs and websites about issues you care about.
Savvy media practitioners are plying their revisionist history trade online and in traditional media. This is also true in the Chinese Canadian community along with the more odious use of Chinese language competent individuals to be mischievous and to present biased information. Of course the reverse is true. You have one-side stories in Chinese language media because English language only citizens of Chinese heritage are unable to participate easily. The reverse is also true.
Dual language media practitioners have the advantage in framing the issue and controlling the message in Chinese and English language media. This is evident in how the Chinese language media drove the English language media on the redress issue. Marry dual language to new media practice and you have a formidable opinion-making opportunity. Such a situation is subject to abuse and it may well be time to organize an English-Chinese public interest media watchdog group to bridge the divide and keep an eye on the unscrupulous. This would be a significant boost to community building and in the public interest.
On a personal note, I have always felt the redress movement would be better understood if I were bilingual (and had more talent and eloquence). Growing up in the only Chinese family in a small Saskatchewan town, my primary caregivers (my Grandparent) were illiterate and spoke only Toisan. This is certainly not a good reason not to know Cantonese or Mandarin and I have retained a little of my mother tongue which did assist in redress. I have tried to learn Cantonese several times but failed miserably. I am trying to learn new media skills and will do my best to contribute to informed dialogue and debate.
In Why Chinese Canadian history Matters? the CIV guest blogger wrote:
“I first worked with X in late 2005, early 2006 on the head tax redress movement. Before Paul Martin called the federal election, minister of state Raymond Chan announced that Canada had reached a head tax redress agreement with the Chinese community associations across Canada. A week before the announcement, I learned that the so-called historic agreement contained neither apology nor compensation. It only provided some money for Chinese community associations to hold activities and projects.
Redressing the head tax with no apology — that is something I could not take. I contacted X and ORGANISATION’s Y to discuss how to oppose the agreement. During the federal election month and the following few months, we put all our other community work aside and concentrated our energy on pressuring political parties and candidates. We declared firmly that a redress without an apology is unjust. With the help of the media and our effective strategies, we reversed the position of the Conservative and Liberal parties. One after the other, they pledged to apologize for the head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act in Parliament after the election (The head tax redress movement was started by NDP and Hanson Lau in the 80s. The NDP’s position was to have both apology and compensation). In addition, we were able to convince the Conservatives to accept the demand of symbolic compensation.
After Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s historic apology in Parliament, X walked another path by himself concentrating on the preservation of the history of the Chinese in Canada.”
I responded:
(The writer’) …with reference to the the roles played by Y, X and himself are very self-serving. For the record, they joined an ongoing struggle of over two decades, primarily led by the Chinese Canadian National Council in Toronto and the ad hoc BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers,Spouses and Descendants in Vancouver.
The B. C. Coalition recognized the lack of Chinese-language media skills and they took this on for the BC Coalition in beginning late November 2005. X became Chinese-language spokesperson until March 2006 when he was removed. For most of the time, he was off message and essentially rogue. After he attended the consultations in March 2006 Toronto with Minister Bev Oda and Secretary Jason Kenney, we have not heard from him but understand he and his friends have credited themselves as leader of the Chinese head tax and exclusion redress movement.
These are the facts. I was there with the BC Coalition since mid-80’s, helped formed Head Tax Families Society of Canadians in fall of 2006 and have been longtime CCNC director.”
—————————————
Disclaimer: Views expressed by guest bloggers are theirs and may not represent those of CIV.
By inviting guest bloggers to write here, we’d like to see us grow together with more diverse ideas and perspectives. If anyone believe the idea is cool, please don’t hesitate to submit your stuff to us. We use real names and identities here. Thank you.
By Sid Tan (Chow Ming Fai)
Media and how Chinese Canadian history will be
understood cannot be understated, particularly if we
radio and television. What are the implications of today’s
new media archives to how our life and times will be
understood a year, decade or hundred years from now?
This is a concern raised by my recently concluded public
exchange chat thread on www.ChineseInCanada.ca
website on a Guest Blog titled “Why Chinese Canadian
History Matters?” I responded to the writer’s inaccuracies
and omissions of fact in his interpretation of the history
of the redress movement. The writer places himself and
his friends (seemingly by themselves) as having reversed
a government decision leading to a partial redress. The
pertinent exchange is at the end of these comments.
Later, viewing at a test screening of the upcoming film
Redress Remix twigged how new media practice easily
begets a meme-like history in quick fashion unlike
traditional media. In the film, the narrator describes an
individual who was “…for years” involved in the redress
movement. In fact, the individual was involved for three
or four months as Chinese language spokesperson and
was removed for being off message. This begs the
question how did the film’s researchers came to the
conclusion the individual was involved for years?
In conversation before the film with a friend whose day
job is senior communications adviser, we discussed
how today’s new media gives rise to an immediate
social history. Websites and blogs such as Susanna
Ng’s Chinese In Vancouver, Todd Wong’s Gung Haggis
and David Wong’s the Ugly Chinese Canadians and
Elwin Xie’s Foo’s Ho Ho will be providing the archives
that future researchers will mine for today’s social and
political history.
My communications friend advised me to always set the
record straight immediately if possible lest it become
accepted and transmitted. Easily said but often requires
much time and effort. Also, it’s not possible to know
what’s being written in all blogs and websites about
issues you care about.
Savvy media practitioners are plying their revisionist
history trade online and in traditional media. This is
also true in the Chinese Canadian community along
with the more odious use of Chinese language
competent individuals to be mischievous and to present
biased information. Of course the reverse is true. You
have one-side stories in Chinese language media
because English language only citizens of Chinese
heritage are unable to participate easily. The reverse
is also true.
Dual language media practitioners have the advantage
in framing the issue and controlling the message in
Chinese and English language media. This is evident
in how the Chinese language media drove the English
language media on the redress issue. Marry dual
language to new media practice and you have a
formidable opinion-making opportunity. Such a situation
is subject to abuse and it may well be time to organize
an English-Chinese public interest media watchdog
group to bridge the divide and keep an eye on the
unscrupulous. This would be a significant boost to
community building and in the public interest.
On a personal note, I have always felt the redress
movement would be better understood if I were
bilingual (and had more talent and eloquence).
Growing up in the only Chinese family in a small
Saskatchewan town, my primary caregivers (my
This is certainly not a good reason not to know
Cantonese or Mandarin and I have retained a little
of my mother tongue which did assist in redress.
I have tried to learn Cantonese several times but failed
miserably. I am trying to learn new media skills and
will do my best to contribute to informed dialogue
and debate.
In Why Chinese Canadian history Matters? the CIV
guest blogger wrote:
“I first worked with X in late 2005, early 2006 on
the head tax redress movement. Before Paul Martin
called the federal election, minister of state Raymond
Chan announced that Canada had reached a head tax
redress agreement with the Chinese community
associations across Canada. A week before the
announcement, I learned that the so-called historic
agreement contained neither apology nor compensation.
It only provided some money for Chinese community
associations to hold activities and projects.
Redressing the head tax with no apology — that is
something I could not take. I contacted X and
ORGANISATION’s Y to discuss how to oppose the
agreement. During the federal election month and the
following few months, we put all our other community
work aside and concentrated our energy on pressuring
political parties and candidates. We declared firmly
that a redress without an apology is unjust. With the
help of the media and our effective strategies, we
reversed the position of the Conservative and Liberal
parties. One after the other, they pledged to apologize
for the head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act in
Parliament after the election (The head tax redress
movement was started by NDP and Hanson Lau in
the 80s. The NDP’s position was to have both apology
and compensation). In addition, we were able to convince
the Conservatives to accept the demand of symbolic
compensation.
After Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s historic apology
in Parliament, X walked another path by himself concentrating
on the preservation of the history of the Chinese in Canada.”
I responded:
(The writer’) …with reference to the the roles played by Y, X
and himself are very self-serving. For the record, they joined
an ongoing struggle of over two decades, primarily led by the
Chinese Canadian National Council in Toronto and the ad hoc
BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers,Spouses and Descendants
in Vancouver.
The B. C. Coalition recognized the lack of Chinese-language
media skills and they took this on for the BC Coalition in beginning
late November 2005. X became Chinese-language spokesperson
until March 2006 when he was removed. For most of the time, he
was off message and essentially rogue. After he attended the
consultations in March 2006 Toronto with Minister Bev Oda and
Secretary Jason Kenney, we have not heard from him but
understand he and his friends have credited themselves as
leader of the Chinese head tax and exclusion redress movement.
These are the facts. I was there with the BC Coalition since
mid-80’s, helped formed Head Tax Families Society of Canadians
in fall of 2006 and have been longtime CCNC director.”
Related posts
Short URL: http://www.chineseinvancouver.ca/?p=10568
X, Y and himself are very self-serving? What benefits did they receive as a result?
see referred to Guest Blog…
CF, to practice as a professional in B.C., one has to pass exams on technical subjects, commercial law, and last but not least E T H I C S.
Ottawa either didn’t care or were too naive to figure out that the monolinguists had their bones snatched out of their porch. It must feel like 哑子吃黄莲,有苦说不出.
Heck if you think it went unnoticed, you’ are fooling yourself.
Ethics? Hahahahahaha … you must be a new immigrant to Canada/North America.
Given a little more time, I am going to snatch that bone out of your mouth. ha ha
What’s the equivalent in Cantonese for “new broom sweeps clean”?
Please ignore my previous question. I found better stuff to learn.
弱肉强食
(ruo4 rou4 qiang2 shi2)
punto_01.gif
The weak are the prey to the strong, the law of the jungle
Chinataren,
In the Great White North,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_White_North
You are “Fresh off the Boat”. Haha.
This is how China lost a whole empire and its descendants, us, became dirt to the West.
“Implosion” is the new catch-phrase of the West for China.
Learn from the Jews, question our differences but work with consensus.
That is why little Israel is able to stand up to big Arab nations surrounding it. Even the US is afraid of the Jews. How much more of a slap in the face do you still need when on the day Joe Biden’s visit that Israel puts 1600 more settlements on the map. In direct defiance to the US. Yet the US laughed it off and still bent down. Now that’s chutzpah.
Notice that the Wsstern media really played down this forced sodomy on the US by the Israelis. The Israelis are going greek with the Americans. And the most shameful part is that the Yanks are laughing it off.
“How much more of a slap in the face do you still need when on the day Joe Biden’s visit that Israel puts 1600 more settlements on the map…”
Oh stop with this crap ! Jews ? Can you tell most of them apart from normal Caucasian population ? Most of them are exemplary Western cultural inhabitants of both US and Canada. For your information, just Google who was behind the urbanization and planning of modern US. Its Robert Moses, is he your Jew type ? If it wasn’t for the Jews US would have been a hillbilly nation from top to bottom. Moron, stope with 1600 apartments – its a BBC crap. One day in New York Chinatown has 10x that number of new invaders with their non-western baggage. Why write about tiny Israel when the focus should be US urban centers. And by the way, Arabs are the one that smirk at Chinese culture in the most demeaning ways. Who are the most ardent supporters of Chinese antiquities and culture ? Its the Jews. Also, the Jews are the ones that are responsible for integrating Blacks and Asians into North American society. Have you ever traveled in the US South or have you spoken to the average Hillbilly or a Black about Chinese culture ?
I want to know why you people don’t reply to this Gene F character?
He said, “Can you tell most of them apart from normal Caucasian population? Most of them are exemplary Western cultural inhabitants of both US and Canada.”
Then he said, “Moron, stope with 1600 apartments – its a BBC crap. One day in New York Chinatown has 10x that number of new invaders with their non-western baggage.”
Chinatown … new Invaders? non-western baggage?
Apparently, we don’t even have “entrance dogs” for sentry duty?
Gene F, I was laughing at the Americans and admiring the Jews.
Perhaps you should read what I wrote again just to have a better understanding.
Not one culture or race is totally good or bad, that is why I object to the Western media’s portrayal of China and the Chinese as totally evil.
Nothing to do with racism or hate towards a particular individual. We are talking numbers and chain migration. We are talking reality here – something not shown on TV or textbooks. I have seen sidewalks physically dented by human traffic in Queens Chinatown. Parks with no place to walk in the morning. alien music and dance rituals taking place at public facilities with not even a single sitting bench available. Public swimming pools being taken advantage off by people who can’t even speak any English and who seemingly can’t miss a day of attendance. Exhaust fumes choking-off once residential neighborhoods due to produce trucks hauling supplies to endless food stoles.
I have never been to Queens Chinatown, but what you have described appears to be the perfect picture of our downtown Eastside in Vancouver. And the inhabitants are mainly our downtrodden, marginalized Canadian Natives, and they are for sure not immigrants.
CF, you are so easily upset by a NY Chinatown baggage porter. How much do they tip over there, do you have any clue? FYI FoBs are better off these days than your lot, especially if papas are Communist princelings with bags of cash They got hired by Canadian companies before they landed. You should watch out those who preach from both sides of their mouths and can’t communicate in a common language.
I’m off to watch the flg show.
Chinataren, I understand everything you said except “watch out those who preach from both sides of their mouths and can’t communicate in a common language.” What is the flg show?
Oh yes, “they” get good jobs in Canada or will be re-assign back to China. I always wonder why, though.
“I object to the Western media’s portrayal of China and the Chinese as totally evil.”
China portrayed as evil ? Defective goods and food safety stories ? Few stories perhaps, from time to time including regular human rights crap.
Never seen a story on public access portraying Chinese people specifically as evil. What is your reference ?
ChinkTalk
“I have never been to Queens Chinatown, but what you have described appears to be the perfect picture of our downtown Eastside in Vancouver…”
Hmmm, so the Vancouver Chinatown is the “Garden spot of the Earth” now according to you ? Very interesting, indeed ! I always suspected that Canada is a true degradation.
Chinataren
“Given a little more time, I am going to snatch that bone out of your mouth…”
Bravo ! Well summarized indeed. Appears a true common denominator – a philosophy of a true Chinatowner.
Gene F,
You are talking about the wrong country. This is Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Not Vancouver in Washington, USA. What you said doesn’t apply to us. As a result, please don’t post your USA crap to Canada here ok?
GF, that’s a joke meant for CF. Why do you twisted it out of context?
You are not debating in good faith. This site is about Chinese in Vancouver, and this particular post is about bones and skeletons.
The latest I heard about NYC was that your Empire State building was close to the public for one day to welcome the Chinese tourists, and Macy’s had huge banners welcoming the big spenders. Hey I’m not complaining. your Wall Street bankers park their humongous bonuses in Canadian properties and bonds. It is win-win for everyone concerned.
CF: it’s ok if you don’t understand that part. You’re not street smart and people smart, but that’s ok too. At least I know you’re not devious.
If you came here in the 70s 80s, you prolly don’t know that some of them kids are on drugs and prostitution. Our Chinese-Canadian politicians and HKonger community elders are too busy picking bones.
flg=falungang .. free tickets.. I’m indifference to their platform
I know I am not smart; that’s why I asked … you mean drugs and prostituion? It is a very North America thing. For example, on Kingsway, Mount Pleasant neighborhood and some downtown side streets? They co-exist with the cops very well.
sigh
I’m talking about HK kids who came, grew up here and turn to vice.
last post on this topic. thanks.