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[what does it mean to be a racialized settler?](https://bit.ly/jpl2021zine)

For so many of us, this has been a period of intense turbulence. Navigating climate emergency, a global pandemic, overt and systemic racism, and all of the ways that these and other challenges intersect. 

But despite it all, we witnessed (and joined in) as our communities came together in solidarity, through mutual aid, reciprocity, and collective care. These concepts are not new to Indigenous or racialized communities, and it is this shared sense of responsibility for each others’ well-being that offers us a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak time. 

While we did not originally set out for this project to be a residency, we are so excited to share with you the beautiful reflections that could have only been gathered through the dedication of this unique group of artists.

We leave you here with the questions that framed the 2021 joss paper library online residency, with the hope that they spark further discussion and reflection into our experiences on unceded lands:  

*What does it mean to be a racialized settler? How does settler colonialism impact the way we understand ourselves in relation to land? What is our understanding of “homeland,” in the many varied ways that we relate to the land?* 

Thank you to our artists in residence, Tanvi Bhatia, Charlene Sayo, Jane Shi, and Jackson Tse for all of their time, thoughtfulness, and vulnerability; to Ta7talíya Paisley Eva Nahanee for opening our residency and sharing Sḵwx̱wú7mesh teachings; to Jackie Wong and to hua foundation staff for their guidance from beginning to end; and finally, we are so grateful to our communities for your support and encouragement.

Content is copyright of joss paper library and individual contributors. © 2021

This program was funded by the City of Vancouver and hua foundation.

what does it mean to be a racialized settler?

dreamer

vancouver chinatown social cohesion report

愛心不是講法，是做法 / I love you is not something we say

In June, when the Peonies Bloom

This piece first appeared in the 2023 MAU (Makers Artists United) Calendar, under the theme ‘Chinatown Futures’ and was later adapted for Instagram

chinatown cares grocery delivery program - project documentation / resource guide

Public Engagement Award, Partner Organization

Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans Course on Research Ethings (TCPS 2: CORE)

Take a virtual trip to Hoiping / Kaiping county of Guangdong province in Southern China, from which many early Chinese migrants made their journey to Canada. Explore the UNESCO-designated fortress towers called “diulow” / “diaolou” and visit a traditional lion head workshop in the village through our virtual reality film station.

請來進入虛擬旅程，參觀中國南部廣東省的開平縣，是許多早期的加拿大華裔移民的原居地。您可通過展覽的虛擬現實（VR）電影站，探索被聯合國教科文組織指定為世界遺產的碉樓 ，並參觀村莊里傳統的舞獅子頭工作坊。

请来进入虚拟旅程，参观中国南部广东省的开平县，是许多早期的加拿大华裔移民的原居地。您可通过展览的虚拟现实（VR）电影站，探索被联合国教科文组织指定为世界遗产的碉楼 ，并参观村庄里传统的舞狮子头工作坊。

A Seat at the Table

Audio documentary produced by: Kaitlyn Fung

The closure of Goldstone Bakery and Restaurant in Vancouver’s Chinatown caused grief to many people – and for a lot of them, it was about more than just losing their favourite restaurant. What made Goldstone more than just a restaurant to people? “Chinatown’s Heart of Gold(stone)” explores how food, race, class, and culture combine in unique places to create a sense of community.

Chinatown’s Heart of Gold(stone)

Volunteers change tactics to help vulnerable, disconnected seniors

As Vancouver’s demographic shifts, Chinese youth try to connect an increasingly divided city

Asian-led initiatives supporting the Vancouver community during COVID-19

Diasporas produce a vital but unheralded food industry in Canada. Can we make it easier to set up shop and grow? Last in the series: Fresh Off the Shelf.

When We Celebrate ‘Local Food,’ What Gets Left Out?

Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asian communities, but each has their own traditions

A short video profiling the "Chinatown Cares" grocery delivery service for Chinese elders in Vancouver.

Chinatown Cares

Vancouver non-profit Hua Foundation launches new language accessibility resource

Food can teach us love and bring people together. But for Tammara Soma, a food professor, food was originally a source of pain. Join her journey to learn about the healing power of food.

Food is My Teacher

Rift in Vancouver’s Chinatown keeping newcomers and longtime businesses apart, report suggests

Coronavirus: Grocery project comes to rescue of Vancouver’s Chinatown elders, alone and scared to go out for food

Seniors in Vancouver’s Chinatown are battling poverty and racism to put food on the table

‘How do we find comfort in food?’: Seniors in Vancouver get unique Chinatown grocery support

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, at all levels of government and in public institutions, language accessibility has been –and continues to be– a major equity issue. With public health updates initially provided only in official languages, in a region where 44% of the population speaks a language other than English or French at home, it is clear that translation work is no longer just a ‘bonus,’ but rather is a necessity in public engagement.

We believe in a healthy, democratic society where all people are empowered to make informed decisions regarding their health and well-being, and have equitable access to resources provided by the institutions intended to serve us.

Language in Practice

a collaborative, cross-sector program to ensure ongoing access to culturally appropriate groceries for chinatown seniors during covid-19

chinatown cares grocery delivery program

freelance photography

joss paper library is a research collective based in Vancouver’s Chinatown with a focus on self- & independently- published works centering the Asian diaspora.

joss paper library

From seasonal migrant workers producing food in unsafe working conditions to Black and Indigenous communities struggling to afford their next meal, COVID-19 has laid bare the foundational inequalities in Canada’s food system. Join Jolene Andrew, Just Transition Coordinator for the Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Paul Taylor, Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto, Christina Lee 李嘉明, Project Manager for Transformation Projects & Food Programs with Hua Foundation, and Colin Dring, PhD candidate in Land and Food Systems, Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems, for a discussion on the racial inequalities that exist in our food system, and the systemic changes required to ensure just, sovereign, and reliable food access for all.

The Right to Eat: Tackling Racism & Inequality in the Food System

Since 2023, I have been the official photographer for Chau Luen Athletics, a local lion dance team and kung fu school, based out of Vancouver’s Chinatown.

Official Photographer

- planning, design, & implementation of a complex, community-oriented research project
- researching, reviewing, & compiling existing scholarly research
- facilitating interviews with community stakeholders to understand local needs & challenges
- supervising & coordinating 6 students (UBC Faculty of Land & Food Systems), 2 research partners throughout data collection process
- analyzing qualitative & quantitative data
- writing & editing a comprehensive 62-page report
- overseeing contracting & design of finalized report
- other media responses and speaking opportunities related to the report

primary author, vancouver chinatown social cohesion report

program development, Chinatown Cares Seniors' Grocery Delivery Program
- development of back-end logistical systems for weekly grocery delivery program (built, funded, and operating in under 2 weeks)
- coordination and relationship management between community partners, across multiple sectors & industries
- operational management and improvements on day-to-day tasks
- hiring and management of operational staff, volunteers
- development of resource / how-to guide, documentation of standard operating procedures

transformation projects, operational overhaul
- supporting research and data migration to new operational software (financials, payroll, etc.) 
- managing and coordination of office space closure (due to COVID-19) and related adminstrative tasks

project manager - transformation projects & food programs

- introduced organizational tools to ensure smooth transfer of documentation year over year
- liaised between event organizers and area businesses to ensure mutual event success
- supported the planning and execution of two large-scale public street festivals, each drawing over 150,000 guests and hundreds of vendors and performers
- oversaw a cohort of 9 interns, assigning appropriate tasks to assist in their learning goals

special events coordinator

- planning, design, & facilitation of outreach/interviews with ‘ethnocultural’ businesses regarding upcoming 30-year Broadway Plan
- summary & analysis of qualitative interview data
- writing of comprehensive report
- presentation to 40+ staff of key themes & learnings

primary researcher, broadway corridor small & independent ethnocultural business study

director of community capacity + strategic initiatives

- travelled to Kaiping, China to film 360 degree Virtual Reality footage of Kaiping Diaolou (UNESCO World Heritage Site) & related intangible heritage pieces
- responsible for pre-production, filming, & post-production to create 2 short Virtual Reality films, to be shown at the Museum of Vancouver’s upcoming “A Seat At The Table” exhibition

contract videographer

- acquisition, coordination, & facilitation of equipment rentals
- assessment of existing infrastructure availability & constraints
- establishment of processes, systems, & best practices
- liaising between City staff & local community groups
- reporting back learnings to determine feasibility of application to other neighbourhoods

chinatown summer events shared asset manager

adjunct faculty

Language Access Project

* overseeing the development of a resource guide geared towards communications and engagement professionals to improve language accessibility within public institutions
* generating buy-in and convening director-level staff within local, regional, and provincial institutions to commit to long-term systemic change

Capacity Building Portfolio

* visioning and rooting for Roundtable Educational Society, a newly-established charity to reimagine the philanthropic sector
* formalization of ongoing mentorship and incubation work, to support the creation and expansion of other adjacent grassroots initiatives

Internal Transformation Projects

* collaborative development of policies and practices to reimagine the ways that we work as a team, including: asynchronous work infrastructure, disability justice audit, cultural holidays policy, wellness-first media responsiveness strategy, 4-day work week

Representing hua

* advisories and steering committees including: Unpacking Precarity in British Columbia, local grassroots coalitions and networks
* speaking engagements (panels, podcasts, documentaries) and media (local, national, international)

christina lee 李嘉明

2022

2021