On May 25th, in celebration of Jewish and Asian Heritage month, the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto hosted the TRIBUTE TO FRIENDSHIP EXHIBITION.
Opening night highlighted the cross cultural experiences of the two cultures, and featured the works of over 25 Jewish and Chinese artists who explored the 1000 year historical legacy of the Jewish and Chinese communities.
Read MoreArt reflects our ever-changing culture and has the ability to shift society's values and views. Racism and injustice have been a huge topics during the pandemic, magnified by the heartbreaking discovery of thousands of unmarked childrenís graves at Indigenous residential school sites, the Black Lives Matter movement, and anti-Asian racism, discrimination and violence in North America.
Read MoreArt reflects our ever-changing culture and has the ability to shift society's values and views. Racism and injustice have been a huge topics during the pandemic, magnified by the heartbreaking discovery of thousands of unmarked childrenís graves at Indigenous residential school sites, the Black Lives Matter movement, and anti-Asian racism, discrimination and violence in North America.
Read MoreIn 2008 my mother Isabel Sun Chao and I began a decade-long journey digging into our family’s past, which we recounted in our family memoir Remembering Shanghai. My maternal grandfather Sun Bosheng was born in China in 1894, a year whose cosmological confluences portended conflict, instability and disaster. Two months before his birth, a great fire in Shanghai destroyed over one thousand buildings, and the First Sino-Japanese War broke out shortly after. By all accounts he was born with silver chopsticks; yet war, famine and political upheaval dogged him throughout his life.
Read MoreI am often too focussed on how the world sees me that I sometimes forget to see myself. As a Chinese woman, one of my defining features are my eyes. These are the same eyes that were ridiculed when I was a child. I still remember the chant about them which made me feel ugly. It resides in my mind as the first time I realised I looked different from everyone else. Yet, I now love these imaginative eyes that, when closed, take me to faraway lands and places I never thought I would see. Now, I am proud of these almond eyes, eyes that guide me to paint, draw and create. I cherish them for the beauty that they let me see, in others and over the years, in myself and my journey.
Read MoreIf you are still looking for ideas for Mother's Day, we have some fabulous choices for you. Take a peek at some of our hand-picked objects this season, from Traditional Chinese Medicine-inspired wellness to useful kitchen favourites, to heirloom jewellery pieces that will delight any mom!
Read MoreThe Canadian Opera Company is proud to announce the Showcase Series, a new slate of programming that spotlights a variety of cultural identities through curating performance opportunities that comprise Toronto’s unique cultural landscape. In May, the company celebrates Asian Heritage Month with a month-long calendar of events that highlights the beauty of music, cultural identity, and language, and also support an understanding of the vast range of Asian communities throughout the city.
Read MoreBefore getting dressed in the morning, I wade through the dresses, blouses, skirts, jackets, scarves, hats, shoes and handbags clogging my bedroom closet and still can’t find anything to wear. It’s become a daily ritual. My tastes change with the fashion. Or is that I expect too much from my clothes? One day I wear ruffles and feel pretty, and the next a camouflage print to channel my inner warrior. My friend has trouble packing her suitcase for overseas trips because she simply cannot anticipate what her mood might be on the road. “I dress to express what I feel,” she tells me. “Or what I want to make happen on a given day.”
Read MoreAt the time of this article being published, a NextShark post on instagram has over 11,000 likes and 500 comments, with a majority full of hate and criticism towards a popular Hong Kong television drama that is currently being broadcasted and coming to a close. The issue being discussed two weeks ago was the disapproval of “brownface,” as make-up was used on a Chinese actor to darken her skin to portray a Filipina domestic helper for one half of her role, where she transforms from the first ethnicity to being Chinese, when the family she works for tries to turn her into the replacement for their late daughter who fatefully died years prior.
Read MoreI’ve loved basketball my whole life. Growing up in Scarborough, a court and pickup game was never far away, and I’d often carry a ball with me just in case. In my teenage years, I’d go to school early, put on my Sony walkman (youths, starting googling) and shoot for 2-3 hours by myself - every morning, without fail. Looking back, it was my meditation, my happy place.
I was a pretty good player - quick first step, could finish at the rim, lefty advantage, great cardio, and a decent mid range shot. I also developed enough confidence that I would rarely see a game being played where I felt I couldn’t at least be a decent role player. My friend Darnel and I would go challenge people on random public courts and we won our fair share.
In 2012, her megahit “You Exist In My Song” catapulted her to superstardom, earning her numerous awards such as Best New Artist, Best Music Composer and Best Song from many top Asian platforms. To date, the track’s official music video has over 170 million views on YouTube, a staggering figure that might not even fully reflect her extensive following in China. Capping off her meteoric rise, Wanting performed in front of a live television audience of close to one billion viewers at the 2013 annual Spring Festival Gala, sharing the stage with the legendary Celine Dion.
Read MoreWe wondered aloud how Chinese principles have molded Kevin’s personal journey. Again, he pauses to consider his answer before sharing that his main, guiding sense of duty comes from witnessing how the Chinese community values and cares for seniors. He adds that “While this may not directly affect my business decisions, it moves me deeply as a person. Western communities spend so much time thinking about the future but don’t think about the past enough.” He credits the values that were instilled in him back in Hong Kong in his early days, which is that honouring, revering and respecting seniors is of supreme importance. And that this is something that the younger Chinese generation could do to remember...
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