Globe and Mail and ‘Chinese Canadian diaspora’
ShareAn 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... [Read More...]
‘Dual loyalty’ of Chinese Canadians
ShareIn the last week, I received three interview requests from the English media to talk about Chinese Canadian “dual loyalty” in regard to the Olympics and the other events (such as the Tibet riot). Only the Vancouver Sun publishes my answers (I really appreciate that… after hours of writing up). I’m thinking of publishing more of my responses in a later post. But I also want to ask one question: which team would British... [Read More...]
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn Between Identities I
ShareLast year, I wrote an article for a Sinagporean magazine about the Chinese diaspora. As there seems to be a resumed interest from the western world in learning about how overseas Chinese think as the Beijing Olympics is just 2 weeks away, it might be a good time for me to post my article here now. It’s quite a long article and is the unedited version. I will separate the article into 5 parts. THE CHINESE DIASPORA – TORN BETWEEN IDENTITIES INTRO Chinese... [Read More...]
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn Between Identities II
ShareCase 1: Hong Kong immigrant Sang Leung is a family man in his mid-40s who emigrated from Hong Kong seven years ago. He is a huge soccer fan and he plays soccer with friends every week. “Really, it doesn’t matter to me which team (Canada or China) wins if they are in a, say, world cup game,” Leung said. “I’ll be equally happy if either wins.” Before immigration, though, Leung was a devoted fan of Team China. “I’m now a Canadian,... [Read More...]
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn Between Identities III
ShareCase 2: PRC immigrant Liang Feng, a Beijing immigrant in her mid-30s, admits she is always confused whether she should describe herself as a Canadian (or Chinese Canadian) or Chinese. “For instance, I’m travelling to Beijing next month. But I’ll tell my friends that I ‘hui guo’ (回國) or “return to the motherland” but not ‘going to China’.” “When I say ‘hui guo’, everyone knows ‘guo’ means China,” Feng said. “Officially,... [Read More...]
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn Between Identities IV
ShareLi Su is a new immigrant from Taiwan. She has called Canada home for less than three years. Just like Sang Leung, Su has got entangled in a web of sometimes conflicting identities. “If Team China vs Team Canada, I’d hope China win,” Su said. “But if Team Taiwan vs Team Canada or Team China, I’d definitely cheer on the Taiwanese.” Su considers herself a Taiwanese with Chinese ethnicity. She has strong identification with Taiwan. But... [Read More...]
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn Between Identities V
ShareCase 4: Canadian born Chinese “I’d definitely cheer for Canada. But if Canada were not playing, I’d cheer for China against any other nation,” said David Wong, a Canadian born Chinese whose ancestors were Chinese pioneers who came to Canada 100 years ago. Unlike the newer immigrants, Wong has less an identity crisis. “I am and will always be loyal to Canada, as I see myself as a pure Canadian with proud Chinese roots…... [Read More...]
Who are more ‘Chinese’?
ShareI was strolling down Chinatown the other day when I suddenly realized why local born Chinese have so many disappointment towards newer Chinese immigrants. When I walked pass Dr Sun Yatsen Garden, images of events being held there all these years just kept coming up. I remember the lantern festival when the Garden was host to many many handmade lanterns by kids of all ethnicities. One year, I sent our photographer to get some pictures of the festival.... [Read More...]
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile IV – Canada losing competitiveness; suggestions
ShareWith an annual growth rate of 9% over the past two decades, China is playing an increasingly important role in the global economy, both as the world’s workshop and as an emerging market. Many entrepreneurs see China as being in an historic period with rich entrepreneurial opportunities similar to the Renaissance in Europe, the Meiji Restoration in Japan, or the take-off of the Asian Tigers in the 1970s. On the other hand, many industries in... [Read More...]
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile III – Immigration policies and CC population
ShareAccording to the Asia Pacific Foundation’s study on Chinese Canadian entrepreneurship, the Chinese population in Canada has been growing steadily since 1967 when Canada adopted the points system to select immigrants based on skills rather than on racial quotas. There are at least one million Chinese-Canadians, forming the third-largest ethnic group in Canada (Statistics Canada 2004). Post-1967 Chinese immigrants differ from long established... [Read More...]
