Monthly Archives: January 2006

GLOBE & MAIL: Chinese Canadians flex muscles at the polls – Gary Mason gets it!

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Chinese Canadians flex muscles at the polls

Gary Mason gets it!

I heard Gary Mason speaking on CKNW radio in Vancouver today – He was very good.   

It is a good perspective on the issues.  The Chinese Canadian community is maturing… people see past being told “Just vote Liberal – they helped you get in the country.” 

They see past Raymond Chan saying “Chinese don't understand gay marriage – they aren't Canadianized enough.” 

But I think it is deeper.  The pioneer descendants don't like immigrant
Chan telling them that 62 years of legislated racism isn't worth an
apology or symbolic compensatin.  The new immigrants are highly
educated, and don't like Chan assuming he knows more than they do.

Check out this Globe & Mail by GARY MASON

Chinese Canadians flex muscles at the polls

Thursday, January 12, 2006 Page A10

VANCOUVER
— Not that long ago, they would have meekly accepted the federal
government's long-held position to neither compensate nor apologize for
the racist head tax once imposed on Chinese immigrants. But that has
changed.

Canada's ethnic Chinese are meek no longer.

“I think the head-tax issue is a good example of the Canadianization
of the Chinese community,” says Winnie Ho, news director of Fairchild
Television. “And I think that has set up a whole new dynamic in terms
of dealing with the Chinese community, a dynamic that we're really
seeing for the first time in this federal election.”

The ethnic Chinese vote is coveted by politicians right across the
country. But no more so than in Greater Vancouver, where in some
communities Chinese Canadians comprise up to 40 per cent of the
population.

Chinese organizations are beginning to understand the power they
have. And the broad rights that exist in Canada to exercise their
influence and stick up for what they believe is right.

“A lot of Canada's so-called new Chinese immigrants have now been
here 10, 20 years,” says Ms. Ho, one of the most influential figures in
the ethnic Chinese community. “They now understand how the game is
played. They now understand they don't have to accept whatever they are
told. That is what happened with the head-tax issue and I think there
is a lesson in that for all politicians.”

Initially, the federal government had an agreement with a number of
Chinese-Canadian organizations to provide $2.5-million for programs
acknowledging the racism of the past. But the agreement included no
apology and no compensation for any of the few surviving immigrants who
paid the head tax, nor for any of their families.

The Chinese Canadian National Council, however, said that wasn't
good enough. It questioned how the money would be spent. It questioned
why any agreement couldn't come with a formal government apology, which
was important to many Chinese Canadians.

Read more click here Chinese Canadians flex muscles at the polls

Vancouver Sun: story on Women of Visible minorities running in Election

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Vancouver Sun: story on Women of Visible minorities running in Election

Sherry Shaghaghi is an energetic effervescent individual who just happens to be the first Iranian-Canadian running for federal politics.
I first met her at a dim sum lunch in Vancouver with friends.

I was immediately impressed at how honest and intelligent Shaghaghi is.  She is committed to helping others in the community, working as a counsellor.  She has helped settle many Iranians to make adjustments to Canadian culture, and she was one of the first people I contacted when Global National News was looking for immigrants who had challenges gaining “status” in Canada.  As well, Sherry is a committed “foster parent”, and she spends time with a young mentally challenged woman.  Everybody speaks highly of her – even strangers.  I was also very impressed that Crawford Kilian, the noted author and instructor from Capilano College is handling communications for her campaign.

The large picture in the Vancouver Sun story featured Sherry Shaghaghi
who had also run in the municipal Elections as a councillor for North
Vancouver District – but wasn't elected.
Saturday's January 7th Vancouver Sun ran a feature article with the headline:

Vancouver Sun:  They're finding a reason to run:

Minorities and women make up a low percentage of political candidates, but all are determined to make an impact.

For more details of the article click on www.northvancouverpolitics.com

North
Vancouver NDP candidate Sherry Shaghaghi left Iran in 1985 to escape
the oppressive rule of the ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and to pursue a
more democratic life.

“I left Iran at a really tough
time,” said Shaghaghi, a clinical counsellor. “I wanted to be someone
that could make a difference in people's hearts and have a voice . . .
I couldn't see, at that time in Iran, such a possibility.”

However,
she said many new Canadians may still feel too limited by the religion
of their home countries to consider running for office. She believes
that if the federal government did a better job of assisting new
immigrants with integrating into society, such as helping them study
the language and culture, people might be less intimidated about
entering politics.

“There is very little provided for
their orientation — what to do in the new country,” she said. “The
cultural differences can be quite huge.”


Also featured in the article is Conservative canadidate
Elizabeth Pagtakhan, running in Vancouver East against NDP stalwart
Libby Davies.

I attended Sherry's campaign office open house where it was well recieved and given an enthusiastic compliment by www.northvancouverpolitics.com blogger Barry Forward who wrote:

The opening last night at Shaghaghi's NDP campaign office in Lower
Lonsdale (225 Lonsdale) clearly offered up wild card for this election.
About the same number of people attended this campaign launch party as
attended both Silver's and Bell's, but there was something different in
the air at this one. An air that this candidate represents something
new for the North Shore, a new energy on the local political scene, and
one that we could hear from for many years.

Shaghaghi's chances
of winning the North Vancouver riding for the NDP this time around
probably aren't that good (remote some might say) but if the New
Democrats are able to get their machine behind this candidate and raise
her profile, she could very well play a role in the outcome of this
election.

Campaign recommendation to other candidates: Do not
agree to any all-candidates meetings where your supporters might get a
chance to meet Sherry Shaghaghi, they might just be won over by her
positive and infectious attitude.


Global National with Kevin Newman: Ethnic issues election report from Vancouver Chinatown

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Global News with Kevin Newman: Ethnic issues election report from Vancouver Chinatown


Deb Martin and Todd Wong meet Kevin Newman –  the 2005 Gemini Award winning “Best News Anchor.”

Kevin Newman and the Global National news report gave a special
Election Report on how ethnic issues are helping to shape the 2005
Election issues.   Kevin Newman examines the issue

The show was recorded live at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens
in Vancouver Chinatown. We were sitting in our seats at 2pm, ran
through some practices, then went live to the nation from 3:30pm to
4pm.  It was great to be part of the audience.  Sid Tan,
Harvey Lee and myself were there from the BC Coalition for Head Tax
Payers, Their Spouses, and Descendants.


Imtiaz Popat (front row) talks with
Todd Wong (2nd row) while Sid Tan watches the Global National team
prepare the show, Charlene Sayo of the Filipino Youth Alliance is in
the 3rd Row – photo Deb Martin.

REAL DEAL: Immigrant Issues
“From the manicured greenery of the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens in
Vancouver's Chinatown, Global National's Kevin Newman explores the
immigrant issues that are becoming a major electoral factor, and will
play a significant role in shaping the next government of Canada.”


Kevin Newman opened

with this statement.
Named after the Chinese leader who plotted to overthrow the last
emperor of China while exiled in Vancouver, the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens
is the scene of Tuesday night's immigration-themed broadcast

It was great to sit at the Sun Yat Sen Gardens and share with them that my Great-Great-Grandfather
Rev. Chan Yu Tan had helped to raise funds in Vancouver for Dr. Sun Yat
Sen.  It was also my cousin Joe Wai who served as the architect for the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Classical Gardens and the brand new Hall of One Hundred Rivers where the Global Newscast was held.

I did get to speak – I answered the question “How did the leaders do on the debate?”

I said :


“Jack Layton came out swinging – looking strong.  Stephen Harper looks
like he is just trying to avoid making any mistakes.  Paul Martin is
looking tired – probaby becuase of the head tax issue.”

I should have said:


Kevin – today's show is about ethnic election issues – but the Head Tax
redress and exclusion act IS an issue for All Canadians.  Nobody
mentioned the Liberal flip flop on the apology issue.  If I was on that
stage, I would have told Canadians what a real apology should sound
like. 



Paul Martin's summary was all about Canadian values and his
actions in the last week don't give him any back bone at all.  In fact
it looks like he tried to avoid any mention of head tax apology or
redress, because he is looking so poorly on the issue. 



Stephen Harper is just
trying not to make a mistake.  He is very cautious.  He was the last
opposition leader to come out in support of an apology in parliament,
rescind the Aip, and they have been uncommitting to individual
compensation.  He's not showing passion because he doesn't want people
to see how scary he really is. 



Jack Layton came out swinging and
remained strong.  He was the first leader to talk about the need for a
full redress that includes an apology, individual compensation for
survivors, rescinding the AiP – To me, Jack Layton reflected the values
of honesty, integrity and justice – he's not just paying lip service.

Hindsight (sigh) is always better….

Have to remember what I really want to say – instead of just answering the question.



Todd Wong, Deb Martin and Harvey Lee
(back row) with Imtiaz Popat and Sid Tan (front row) in the audience at
the Global News Report from Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens

We saw a clip that Global reporter Jas Johal did on the Chinese Head
Tax issue.  We were excited to see our friends Daniel and Cynthia
briefly interviewed as they showed the certificate of their
ancestors.  Raymond Chan was also included saying the same old
lines, no doubt David Emerson will soon shift the bar and leave Raymond
behind again.  Of special note – a 95 year old survivor is
interviewed saying that she was her money back.  See the
clip:  Jas Johal on Chinese Head Tax issue


Kevin Newman asked Sid Tan (Chinese Canadian National Council) about the power of block voting regarding the head tax issue.


Sid Tan:  I think that in terms of block voting there are small differences
within the blocks, but I can tell you on the head tax issue, which has
got to do with the older overseas chinese, people with roots here for
over a hundred 150 years, they are really coming on side, about a month
ago, 150 grannies and granpas actually welcomed Paul Martin to sign an
Agreement-in-Principle in Chinatown.  And that Aip and the apology
for the head tax, all three opposition parties have agreed, to the the
rescinding of the principle, and have agreed to an apology and now the
Liberals have agreed to an apology.




Kevin Newman:  So you have had real impact by voting as a block and moving opinion.

Steve Kaufmann
(The Linguist Institute):   All issues affect all Canadians, and even the head tax affects all Canadians.






Which party and leader best understands the issues facing Canada's immigrants and minority issues

NDP                     35%

Conservatives       29%

Liberals                 27%

Bloc Quebecois      9%


Check out these other Global National Online Extras
ยป Exclusive Poll on immigrant issues