On May 8, 2023, the Vancouver Public Library hosted a conversation with author Henry Tsang, community organizer Melody Ma and educator karine 吳玨穎 about Henry’s new book White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver.
—
Description from the event listing:
What happened in 1907 that led to racist and violent demonstrations against the Asian immigrant communities in Vancouver? How can we make sure something like it doesn’t happen again?
Based on his 360° Riot Walk, Henry Tsang has curated a book that combines essays and photography to shine a light on the darkness of Vancouver’s past and its uncertain future: White Riot.
Henry Tsang will be in conversation with two contributors from the book: community organizer Melody Ma and educator karine 吳玨穎. Join them for a powerful conversation about community, solidarity and resistance.
Henry Tsang is an artist who explores the spatial politics of history, language, community, food, and cultural translation in relationship to place. His artworks take the form of gallery exhibitions, 360-degree video walking tours, curated dinners, and public art. Henry teaches at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver.
Melody Ma 馬勻雅 is a community organizer and neighbourhood advocate for Vancouver’s Chinatown. She led a campaign called #SaveChinatownYVR that helped defeat a controversial development project at 105 Keefer, and coordinated the Chinatown Summer Events series as a way for the community to reclaim space. Melody is a member of VPL’s Board of Trustees.
karine 吳玨穎 (she/佢) is an uninvited immigrant-settler-occupier un/re-learning on the stolen and shared lands of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations. She is grateful for finding a home in the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance in BC, where care and decolonization are practised collectively.
—
This event is part of Uplift Asian, a new programming series at VPL designed to celebrate Asian voices and push back against discrimination.
