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.

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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 Canadians or American Canadians cheer on if Team Canada vs Team Britain or Team USA? Do they have the the conflict of ‘dual loyalty’ too? Anyone?

Here’s an article appeared on the Sun yesterday:

Chinese-Canadians face a test of patriotism
Immigrants feel divided between their loyalty to China and their new homeland

Joanne Lee-Young, Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

METRO VANCOUVER – Members of Vancouver’s large overseas Chinese community will face a complex set of dual loyalties during the Beijing Summer Games, rooted in a simple quandary: whether to cheer for Chinese or Canadian athletes, or both.

At one level, it is merely a matter of name recognition.

Carl Xing, who arrived in Richmond about six months ago from Zhengzhou, China, said he doesn’t know the name of even one Canadian athlete.

Like millions of Chinese, he is full of hope for athletes such as Guo Jingjing, China’s world champion and defending Olympic gold medallist in diving; Jie Zheng, who became the first Chinese-born tennis player to reach a grand slam singles semi-final, at Wimbledon this year; and Yao Ming, the Shanghai-born centre for the Houston Rockets basketball team who will play for China.

Other immigrants from China, who have been in Metro Vancouver longer, are torn in other directions.

Vincent Dong, a civil servant who moved from Hefei to Burnaby eight years ago, is especially interested in watching table tennis and badminton, both big sports in China.

But “I would say that I will cheer for whoever wins [Chinese or Canadian],” he said.

“Sportsmanship and athleticism take over nationalism,” Dong said. “I enjoy the sport itself. Ever since China won the bid to host the Olympics seven years ago, I have had mixed feelings. I was very happy for China and the Chinese people who, I believe, deserve to showcase the Olympics.

“But I have also had a kind of feeling that it is not the time yet because China is still faced with a lot of different problems.

“The Chinese government will prioritize the Olympics over everything and I wasn’t sure it was the time yet,” he said.

“I guess there is no perfect time. So, you see, I still have mixed feelings and I believe that this represents [the feelings] of most Chinese-Canadians here as well.”

James Wang, a Burnaby businessman who moved from Xian 10 years ago, tried to put the situation in China in context, noting that going for gold this summer has been equated with glory for the motherland.

“We are very excited for the Games,” Wang said. “Most young people [who have been infused with that focus] will cheer for China.”

But, he emphasized, “I think this is no good at all. I remember a couple of year ago, I watched a Canada-versus-China women’s soccer match and I tried to convince people that you cannot always be rooting for China, that you have to think about being both Canadian and Chinese.

“China is the country we are from, but Canada is the country we live in.”

Wang encouraged local media, especially Chinese-language newspapers, to better cover Canadian athletes and their stories, he said.

“It would help to raise support,” he said. “They should know who [Christine] Sinclair, the Burnaby women’s soccer player, is.”

Susanna Ng, a news editor at Vancouver’s Chinese-language Ming Pao Daily, writes a blog called Chinese in Vancouver in which she tries to communicate views of the Chinese community in English.

Ng tackles a host of topics from real estate prices to racism. She notes that the opinions in her blog are are own, not her employer’s.

She recently reposted a story she wrote last year about Chinese-Canadians and their loyalties. In it, she said the “rise of China is a double-edged sword to the Chinese diaspora. On one hand, a strengthening China helps raise the status of Chinese living overseas.

On the other hand, the ‘China Threat Theory’ that comes with [this] continues to dominate many westerners’ minds.”

Ng interviewed Chinese-Canadians in Vancouver with diverse backgrounds, including immigrants who have been in Canada for varying lengths of time, from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and also those born in Canada.

She asked “one simple but representative question:” “If Team Canada faces off with Team China (or Hong Kong, or Taiwan for some) in an Olympic game or World Cup soccer game, which team would you cheer for?”

She concluded that “the Chinese community in Canada has never been a homogeneous group.

“Based on their background and where they come from, their experience as an immigrant and their identity and sense of belonging to their home or host country can be very different.”

The full blog is at http://www.chineseinvancouver.ca.

In an e-mail interview, Ng said, “The longer one lives in Canada, the stronger the identity is with Canada.

“It’d be difficult for newer immigrants who are still struggling with filling the kids’ stomachs to declare they are Canadians.

“But for those who have established themselves here, the identity conflict is much smaller. “And of course for the second generation on, there is hardly any ID crisis.”

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THE CHINESE DIASPORA – TORN BETWEEN IDENTITIES

INTRO

Chinese have a long history of migration to North America traceable to as early as the 1780s. The road to adaptation to either the Canada or the US society has never been easy for Chinese immigrants. It has been a history of rejection, assimilation, skepticism, cultural conflict and distrust.

The rise of China is a double-edged sword to the Chinese diaspora. On one hand, a strengthening China helps raise the status of Chinese living overseas. Canadian and American enterprises hoping to do business with China are more interested in hiring Chinese employees. Trade blossoms. “Lao wai’s” are learning Mandarin.

On the other hand, the “China Threat Theory” that comes with the rise of China continues to dominate many westerners’ minds. In Canada, the unfriendly attitude towards China of the new Conservative government that took power one and a half years ago has effectively fanned – with the help from the mainstream media – anti-China sentiments across the country. Many of the Tories’ moves are ideologically based. Prime minister Stephen Harper is eager to show his innate disgust of communism in manner much like during the Cold War. At the same time, he shows little willingness to learn about the modern definition of the word “China”.

Things get more complicated when a group of immigrants from China recently established the “first Chinese Canadian political party” in Vancouver. The party’s inaugural mission was to focus on issues that were important to all Chinese immigrants, mainly finding jobs commensurate to their education and other settlement problems. However, rather than raising the public awareness to the struggle and hardships faced by many Chinese immigrants to Canada, the National Alliance Party (NAP) received an almost unanimous negative backlash from the mainstream society, accusing it for being racist and reinforcing segregation. It also sparked a new wave of public debate which argues against Canada’s proud policy of multiculturalism. Criticisms are also directed against immigrants, particularly the Chinese, for not adapting to the Canadian way of living, rather, are urging Canadians to change to accommodate their needs. The inauguration of the NAP has ignited nationwide debate on which countries should immigrants show their loyalty to? Their home countries? Or Canada?

A provocative op-ed article published in a local newspaper asked: “What if BC became a Chinese province?” The writer, presumably white, wrote:

I suggest that a majority British Columbian, Chinese speaking, ethnic Chinese population will have a greater affinity to the Peoples’ Republic than to Canada or the United States.

Is that really so?

The Chinese community in Canada has never been a homogeneous group. Based on their background and where they come from, their experience as an immigrant and their identity and sense of belonging to their home or host country can be very different.

We try to approach this complex issue with one simple but representative question being put to our interviewees:

“If Team Canada faces off with Team China (or Hong Kong, Taiwan for some interviewees) in an Olympic game or World Cup soccer game, which team would you cheer for?”

The people interviewed here come from a diverse background: from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Canada (Canadian Born Chinese). Their stories are telling us that the Chinese diaspora are faced with confusion and contradiction when their motherland – China – is rising rapidly in the world’s stage.

READ:
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities I
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities II
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities III
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities IV
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities V

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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, holding a Canadian passport. Although I have dual citizenship in both countries, I think my loyalty lies with Canada because it has given me and my family such a wonderful life,” said Leung.

“Sometimes, it’s more of a responsibility or duty for me to be loyal to Canada.”

In fact, he’s acting more Canadian, too. For instance, he volunteered as a witness in a recent car accident although he was actually hurrying to work.

“If I were in Hong Kong, I’d just drive by and go. Hey, what does that have anything to do with me, right?”

But now he would stop, help out and take note for the parties involved. And, in Canada, most bosses are OK that their staff are late to work because of helping out someone on the road.

“This is a very obvious change that I notice of myself after living in Canada for seven years,” Leung giggled.

Nonetheless, Leung’s self identity gets more confused when asked if he considers himself a “Hong Konger” or a “Mainlander”.

He paused for a few seconds and said: “I’d say I’m ethnically Chinese and I’m from Hong Kong. But I can’t describe myself being a ‘Mainlander’.”

Same confusion when Leung was asked if it was Team Hong Kong that competed with Team China in a soccer tournament, which team would he cheer for? His answer came quick and clear: “I’d want Team Hong Kong to win.”

READ:
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities I
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities II
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities III
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities IV
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities V

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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, I’d say I’m a Canadian,” she added. “But if I were asked ‘where are you from?’ I’ll answer: China.”

What about Team Canada vs Team China?

Feng said many of her friends will have no hesitation backing Team China. She said the education they received in China teaches “collective pride”.

For her, a game, is only a game.

“I wouldn’t wish which team should win.” However, “if there are some famous ‘stars’ in the Chinese team such as diver Guo Jingjing, I’d want China to win,” Feng smiled.

“So it’s really on a case by case basis.”

Feng has been in Canada for seven years and has a Canadian passport. She believes the rise of China brings a lot of impact to her life in Canada.

“The stronger China is, the more strength or bargaining chips overseas consulates have.” To Feng, Chinese consulates offer a sense of safety that she can rely on when necessary.

“The Taipei economic offices overseas (serve similar function as consulates) can’t do anything. But the Chinese consulates are different,” Feng said with pride.

On the other hand, Feng does feel shameful for many bad things China does. “Tainted toothpaste, pet food, and so on… it’s such a shame.”

Apart from that, though, Feng is a bit worried about the current frozen relationship between China and Canada.

She said the former Canadian government under the Liberal Party might act too naïve or too optimistic at times that one wondered if they understood China at all, “but they were truly good to the Chinese.”

Feng said the current Conservative government deliberately bashes China on almost every issue.

Feng has all the legitimate reasons to be worried. Since the Conservative took over power in January 2006, there have been numerous scuffles which quickly sank the China-Canada relation to the bottom of the frozen sea. Some analysts describe this is the worst time between the two countries since Canada normalized relation with China in the 70s.

Some of the cross fires include Harper and foreign minister Peter MacKay publicly said that there were over 1,000 Chinese spies operating in Canada. Harper said he would bring this to the Chinese leaders and tell them Canada is concerned.

Even under the pressure from Canadian businesses that the government should rebuild a better relation with China for the obvious economic reason, Harper still dared to say that he would not trade human rights with “the almighty dollar.”

“There is a hidden danger for more massive anti-Chinese movements or sentiments in Canada,” Feng said. “That has happened before (referring to an era when Canada stipulated the Chinese Exclusion Act to ban Chinese from coming in the 1890s). Who knows? It might happen again. It really depends on how far the Conservatives want to go.”

Feng tries to remain optimistic. “At the end of the day, national interests come first. The Tories wouldn’t be able to completely overturn a Canadian policy which has set its roots for over 30 years – with success.”

The government might be anti-China, Feng wants to stress that she is not experiencing any anti-Chinese attitude in her daily life.

“Canadians are very friendly. This hasn’t changed.”

READ:
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities I
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities II
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities III
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities IV
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities V

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“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 why would she want Team China win if it was to compete with Team Canada?

“China represents Chinese. No matter what your political point of view is, Taiwanese are ethnically Chinese and other people see so,” Su said. “If China wins, all Chinese share the glory.”

She seems to realize that her status in a foreign land is closely linked to the “motherland” China, ironically, whose communist regime is considered by many Taiwanese as invasive and threatening.

“People look down on you if your ‘motherland’ is weak,” Su sighed.

Su also thinks a rising China has only positive influence on the overseas Chinese. “Western businesses need to hire Mandarin-speaking staff to bridge them to the China market.”

For those westerners who sincerely want to deal with China, they will be good to the Chinese overseas too. “That’s how the status of overseas Chinese would be raised.”

Though her life in Canada has just begun, she already identifies strongly with the newly adopted country. “I’d say I’m a Canadian. I want to live here forever.”

Su said the political atmosphere in Taiwan has broken her heart and smashed any hope she might have for the future of Taiwan.

“I can’t see there are any qualified politicians who have a far-enough insight into building Taiwan,” Su said. “They are all fighting for short term interests – self interests.”

But she finds herself in conflict at times. For instance, while the Conservative government doesn’t like to mix with China, it is very friendly to Taiwan. When the Tories were still in the opposition, they had proposed a controversial “Taiwan Relation Act” which aimed to upgrade Canada’s diplomatic relation with Taiwan. The bill was eventually killed in the parliament, but the Taiwanese remember well the friendly gesture and are thankful to the Tories.

“In a way, the Tories’ anti-China attitude is a good thing to the Taiwanese.”

On the other hand, Su sees China being a strong country which can’t be defeated by a group of Canadian Tories yelling and pointing fingers at it.

“Seeing China as an enemy is wrong for Stephen Harper. China will only grow into a stronger nation and it has the ability to endure hardships, let alone empty criticisms.”

Just like everybody else, Su believes antagonizing China isn’t in the best interest for Canada. Sooner or later, Stephen Harper will have to face the reality. The price will be too expensive for Canada if Harper continues to act on his ideological grandstanding, she said.

READ:
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities I
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities II
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities III
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities IV
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities V

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“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… and am proud of my family’s contributions in helping build this young nation: Canada.”

Being a multi-generational “banana”, Wong and his family have witnessed the dramatic change Chinese Canadians are treated, and he attributes much of that to the rise of China.

He’s both excited and cautiously concerned about China’s rising. “Excited because I am living this moment in time that many of my ancestors had wanted to experience during their lives… and concerned because the path to which China rises to will depend on the abilities and quality of her leaders.”

One of the interesting observations Wong has with China’s rise is the dissolution of the glass ceiling in its old form, and now being re-installed in a new, but ironic form.

“In its old form, the Chinese here in Canada had historically never occupied real business leadership roles – as can be gleaned from historic evidence in the make up professional firm names (eg. Chinese names were rarely seen in partnership titles).”

Wong said that has changed after Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing bought the entire old Expo 86 lands which then many saw as with minimum value, although they were located by the water and close to the downtown core. The area called “False Creek” has been molded into one of the most expensive residential and commercial properties in Vancouver.

“Since then, we saw an explosion of Chinese names onto the titles of law firms, accounting firms etc. Now we see businesses and political parties trying to figure out how to appease to the Chinese – by inviting persons with Chinese names onto their boards – whether or not the person is qualified, and printing their swag in English and Chinese (not French, supposedly is one of Canada’s official languages).”

“Now comes the new form of glass ceiling. The new inherent barriers are now imposed by the local (Canadian) Chinese themselves upon each other,” he was referring to the self-discrimination and tension among groups of Chinese Canadians such as mainlanders vs Hong Kongers, mainlanders vs Taiwanese, new immigrants vs old immigrants, and immigrants vs CBCs.

While Wong hopes to see more Chinese Canadians entering politics, but unfortunately it looks like that the good ones don’t bother. Wong has been active participating politics from “behind the scene”, such as nurturing Chinese politicians and help them run in offices.

“Many of the better and smarter Chinese Canadians do not view political office as a job of high integrity,” he said. “Unfortunately, that opens the door to a lot of opportunistic Chinese Canadian candidates – who attempt office for one very obvious reason – self importance.”

Wong thinks the Chinese Canadian community has “suffered the terrible indignity of having had far too many unqualified Chinese Canadians elected into office.”

“only to prove time and time again, that Chinese Canadians are inarticulate, have no real grasp of the issues, and unfortunately, surround themselves with sycophants and with unqualified advisors.”

But Wong is optimistic towards the future, while he vows to continue working hard on his behind-the-scene work. “There are a number of us who are getting together to help nurture and mentor a new generation of real Chinese Canadian leaders. Eventually, some of these will make it into public office… and will become the role models that the Chinese Canadian community so desperately desires.”

Let us all hope so. [END]

READ:
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities I
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities II
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities III
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities IV
The Chinese Diaspora – Torn between identities V

Related posts

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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. He came back saying the lanterns looked weird and didn’t look very “Chinese”. And we were joking: “no wonder, it was hosted by a group of CBCs”.

The I asked myself: “Why would we say that?”

They are CBCs, yes, but they are trying hard to retain their Chinese roots by hosting events like the lantern festival. We should respect their effort at the very least. But we ended up teasing them for not understanding the real Chinese culture.

Is that fair?

Honestly, I have become more sensitive to the feelings of CBCs re Chinese culture only recently, through inspirations from my newly made friends Todd Wong and David Wong.

They are Canadians with a proud Chinese root. They are trying to keep maintain some of the cultural traditions but then they are blasted “not Chinese.” If that was me, how would I react?

I might say “yea, I’m not a Chinese. I’m a Canadian!” Then somebody might say “see? They don’t know how to be a Chinese.”

It is this kind of useless, meaningless race to claim who are more “Chinese” that is splitting our community: Immigrants saying CBCs aren’t Chinese; PRC immigrants say HK immigrants are destroying Chinese culture.

Why would I say that?

Some heated discussions in the world of online forum have been going on for some time about how Cantonese are killing the Chinese language. We all know that the majority of the earliest Chinese pioneers came from Guangdong province – villages like Toi Shan, Hoi Ping etc, who hardly knew any English. They used their own unique way of transliterating English words into Chinese characters. For instance, “insurance” was transliterated as “yin saw”, which literally combines two Chinese characters: swallow and comb. The term is purely phonetic and doesn’t mean to have its literal meaning taken seriously.

However, these words have been pain in as* to some recent PRC immigrants. Some say by transliterating English words using Cantonese pronunciation, the Cantonese are killing the Chinese language and civilization. The argument itself is ridiculous. Had northern Chinese come as pioneers a century ago, they would have done the same thing – only to have English words transliterated into Mandarin phonetic terms.

Sad. Self-important attitude like this has prevented Chinese to be united as one group like the Japanese or the Jews.

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On the other hand, many industries in China are still backwards by international standards. Entrepreneurs are eager to fill such gaps.

Canada and China. From 1995 to 2005, Canada’s trade with China increased from $8 billion to $30 billion. China has become Canada’s second largest national trading partner since 2003.

Canadian direct investment in China has also grown quickly. By 2002, Canadian firms had invested $667 million in China, an increase of almost 15 times over a decade earlier. Chinese investment in Canada increased from $54 million in 1991 to $220 million in 2004.

About 400 Canadian companies have established a permanent presence in China, while China has set up 120 firms in Canada

Overall, Canada’s trade with China has been growing. However, in comparison, Canada has been left behind in the Chinese market by key competitors such as Australia, as well as smaller players such as Brazil and the Philippines. Important economic indicators — Canada’s share in China’s imports and exports and Canada’s investment in China — have been hovering around 1%: what experts call “the 1% relation”. The latest Statistics Canada data revealed an even more alarming picture. While Australian and US exports to China soared, Canada’s exports declined in 2005.

Indeed, a pessimistic view has become dominant in the discussion of Canada’s role in China. Many are concerned about an even bleaker future, where Canada’s role in the Chinese market might be limited to that of an exporter of natural resources. More recently, concerns have emerged that China may compete with Canada in its major export market — the US.

SUGGESTIONS

• Setting up a database of the Canadian Diaspora, in particular returnee entrepreneurs in key international markets.
• Bringing bilateral trade to the grassroots level by fostering collaborations between mainstream and ethnic firms, especially among SMEs.
• Establishing an integrated online resource database to facilitate networking and the dissemination of information.
• Supporting transnational businesses by setting up pilot projects modeled on existing initiatives that promote entrepreneurship among women and aboriginal people.
• Raising immigrants’ awareness of governmental resources by advertising in ethnic media and partnering with ethnic business and professional associations.
• Funding regular, long-term, and comparative research on transnational entrepreneurship among multiple ethnic groups in Canada.

See also:
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile I – Each 1000 Chinese immigrants = $700m jump in trade
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile II – Half of transnationals make $1m a year
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile III – Immigration policies and CC population
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile IV – Canada losing competitiveness; suggestions

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• We are all spies? (13)
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Post-1967 Chinese immigrants differ from long established Canadian-Chinese in place of origin and in socio-economic background. Close to one-fifth of the Chinese immigrants landed in Canada between 1980 and 2000 had a bachelor’s degree or higher.

After landing in the new country, immigrants often face labour market disadvantages such as depreciated human capital or the lack of English proficiency, which hinders them finding jobs in the mainstream economy.

The impeded mobility leads many of them to entrepreneurship (Henry 1994). Aiming to attract investors and entrepreneurs, the Business Immigration Program was introduced to the Immigration Act in 1978. Chinese from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China accounted for more than half of the 85,000 business immigrants who landed in Canada between 1986 and 2004 (CIC 2006).

A fast-growing immigrant population provides the market, labour and capital for ethnic entrepreneurship. Research shows the proliferation and diversification of the Chinese ethnic economy in major Canadian metropolitan cities.

The great majority of the Chinese-Canadian population is foreign born. Their tastes create a demand for “authentic” goods and services imported from their countries of origin. Their desire to maintain ties with their home countries creates demand for telecommunication services, travel agencies, financial services for remittance transfers, as well as for legal, notary and translation services.

Furthermore, as the Chinese-Canadian community consists of immigrants from different places of origin, immigrant entrepreneurs are able to explore links to various export regions, particularly to markets in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.

See also:
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile I – Each 1000 Chinese immigrants = $700m jump in trade
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile II – Half of transnationals make $1m a year
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile III – Immigration policies and CC population
Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs’ profile IV – Canada losing competitiveness; suggestions

Related posts

• Chinese Canadian community to respond to CSIS head’s comments (1)
• We are all spies? (13)
• Letter – Courageous New Westminister initiative.. (7)
• Letter: Redress meeting format needs reform (3)
• [GB] Whose History? Our History or the Media’s… (23)