Finding “Home” on Turtle Island: Three Generations of Hong Kong Immigrants/Diaspora Reflecting on Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in “Canada”

Friday, 28 February 2025 | 14:00 to 16:00 EST | Room 626, Sixth Floor, Kaneff Tower, Keele Campus, York University & Virtually via Zoom

Speakers: 

• Bill Chu (Human Rights and Reconciliation Advocate)
• Hoi F. Cheu (Professor, School of Liberal Arts, Laurentian University)
• Sung Ming Chow (Independent Scholar)

Discussant: Rick Sin (Contract Faculty, School of Social Work, York University)

What does Indigenous people’s colonization experience in “Canada” have to do with Hong Konger diaspora? Why is it critical for Hong Konger diaspora to learn about the Indigenous history of “Canada” and their current conditions? In this community roundtable dialogue, three generations of Hong Kong immigrant/diaspora respectively from the 1970s, 1980s and 2020s will share their experience working with the Indigenous communities and reflect on their positionalities as immigrant and citizen in “Canada”, in conjunction with their experience of the colonial history and conditions of Hong Kong between the empires of Britain and China.

This is a hybrid (online and in-person) event. Participants living in the Greater Toronto Area are highly encouraged to attend the event in person. In-person attendees can register at this link || Virtual attendees can register at this link

Speaker Bios:

Bill Chu immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong 50 years ago for a career in engineering. His chance encounter in 1988 with an Indigenous person in Chinatown became a transformative event that took him onto a journey of learning the untold history of Canada regarding the Indigenous people and then earlier Chinese in Canada. His unusual attempt towards reconciliation began with a trailblazing movement called Canadians For Reconciliation. He has organized countless trips and events to connect Chinese Canadians with Indigenous peoples in British Columbia. He received an Honorable Mention in the 2005 Awards of Excellence from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and is recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2024.

Hoi F. Cheu is full professor at Laurentian University and came from Hong Kong in 1986. His home discipline is English Literature, specializing in critical theories and Irish Modernism. Since 2005, his research activities have mainly teamed with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, studying social accountability in medical and health education by using arts-integrated methods to engage underserved and/or disadvantaged populations. With social accountability research and other projects, he has collaborated with a significant number of Indigenous communities.

Sung Ming Chow recently immigrated to Canada. He taught at the Polytechnic University of Hong Kong with research interest in economic sociology. Learning about the Indigenous history and issues in Canada, he works to connect in solidarity with the Indigenous communities in British Columbia and is working on a monograph reflecting on the identity and cultural politics of Hong Kong immigrants in Canada.

This community roundtable dialouge is presented by the Hong Kong Studies Group at YCAR.

For more information: ycar[at]yorku.ca.