[van-announce] Sep 7 at 8 pm: 100th anniversay of anti-Asian riots...]

[Harsha]

2007 marks the 100th anniversary of the 1907 anti-Asian riots in
Vancouver, B.C. The riots began in Bellingham as a movement to drive
Punjabi Sikhs out of the lumber industry. On September 7, a white
supremacist crowd marched to Vancouver city hall to demand a White Canada.
Many proceeded to attack Chinatown and then the Japanese community around
Powell Street. Rioters were challenged by Japanese Canadians, who had
armed while windows in Chinatown were being broken. The riots were not
only a landmark in the rise of racism in Canada, they signaled the
beginning of systematic federal intervention to prohibit Asian immigration
to Canada through the imposition of quotas on Japanese emigration,
continuous voyage regulations and a $200 landing fee to exclude those from
India, and the enforcement of head-tax laws against the Chinese and, when
that proved ineffective, passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1923.
Despite Asian Canadian efforts to fight these measures, the period was
marked by escalating injustices, including the infamous Komagata Maru case
of 1914 and the uprooting, dispossession and dispersal of Japanese
Canadians during and after World War II.

Public reception 8 pm onwards
Kalayaan Centre, 451 Powell Street, Vancouver


The Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity
Society (ACCESS) and Head Tax Families Society of Canada would be
honoured by your presence this Friday evening at a dinner gathering of
anti-racism, human rights and social justice activists. Food and
non-alcoholic beverages are provided. BYOB beer and wine okay.

On site will be one of two video installations titled "Shattered" by Karin
Lee, current artist in residence at Video In. The works question the
official reports of the anti-Asian riots that took place in
Vancouver between September 7-10th, 1907.

On the 100th anniversary of the anti-Asian riots in Vancouver, this is an
opportunity to celebrate the anti-racist movement's successes and
recognize how much more work needs to be done.

Made possible thanks to the generous support of the National
Anti-Racism Council of Canada, Chinese Canadian National Council,
Kalayaan Centre and Karin Lee.

In short, should be quite an enjoyable and informative day.

Take care.   anon   Sid



-- 
  Those who are skilled in combat
    do not become angered.

  Those who are skilled at winning
    do not become afraid.

  Thus, the wise win before they fight
    while the ignorant fight to win.

          Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"