The continuing growth of Asian Canadian Studies has created exciting opportunities to integrate Asian Canadian histories, cultures, and experiences in higher education. Asian Canadian Studies is not monolithic, and has always been marked by diverse genealogies, projects, and trajectories. At its most effective, it has also been a site for decolonizing the University, building coalitions against racism and other forms of oppression, and fostering ethical relationships with historically marginalized communities.
UBC’s Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies Program (ACAM) is organizing a series of events at the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences to facilitate dialogues and network building among practitioners of Asian Canadian Studies. On June 2, ACAM will host a day-long program at Congress’s Pedagogy Hub to explore the challenges of teaching Asian Canadian Studies today. The program begins with an opening panel and facilitated discussion with community elders and leaders followed by afternoon workshops on digital media, emotional labour, community collaboration, and student experiences. On June 3, there will be a roundtable on Theorizing “Asian Canadian” through Transnational and Cross-Racial Coalitions (co-sponsored by the Canadian Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies) and on June 4, there will be a session on Asian Canadian archives at UBC Rare Books and Special Collections (co-sponsored by the Canadian Historical Association).
Recognizing the need to foster community among practitioners of Asian Canadian Studies, all events are designed to be interactive and participatory. Whether you have been labouring in this field for decades or are just getting started, we welcome your knowledge, ideas, and questions. In addition to teachers, researchers, and students coming to Congress from across Canada and around the world, we extend a special invitation to community members to join these conversations.
Please visit this webpage for regular updates on our program.
We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver in June!
