專題 Fea t ure : 過去的未來
T H E F UTURE O F O UR P A S T
特輯 E d i t i o n : 植根 R O O TIN G D O W N
束翼 RI S IN G UP
承 傳
Voices o f Tw o G e n e r a t i o n s
Art is my bread and butter Carson Ting
A dialogue with youth on success, role models and parents’ impact 代代相傳的尊貴身分 專訪 - 黃梅初
Special Edition • 2015 $7.99 acrossuhub.com
專題:
過去的 未來
很多人羨慕移民，因為他們找到了一個更好的
地方──落地生根。移民的公主和王子是否從此快 快樂樂地生活呢？
Special Feature:
The Future of Our Past
Immigrant is admirable assuming that they have found a better place to live. After all, it must be an ideal place for their children to grow. Given all these admirable facts, does the next generation live happily forever?
專題
Feature•
文: 蔡元雲 | Translated by Priscilla Yung
束翼在飛
21世紀年輕人 的困局與希望
Flying with Clipped Wings:
The Dilemma and Hope Facing 21st Century Youth
蔡元雲醫生 「突破」榮譽總幹事)
世紀的年輕人面對全球陷入的困局：全球一 體化加劇了貧富懸殊，及就業處境更艱難﹔
日益激烈的文明衝突，及恐怖集團的肆虐﹔生物科
技帶來的醫療突破，及濫用基因工程的危機﹔中國
崛起改變全球經濟政治的均衡，及「中國威脅論」帶
來的危機﹔資訊科技帶來「數碼革命」 ，改寫了學習、 娛樂、交友、購物及生活方式，為青少年帶來前所未
見的能量，他們結連的能力大增，有了影響社會的新 平台，同時也容易陷入網上沉溺。
全球大環境的劇變既帶來困局，亦是危中有機。
在新著《Coming Apart》這本暢銷書中，全球知名
的社會科學家 Charles Murray 深入分析過去50年來 美國社會如何走向社會撕裂及解體。他認為基本原 因是人在四個主要生活領域： （一）家庭（二）群體
（三）詔命（四）信仰，未能得到真正的滿足 。
待續…
專題
Feature•
World renowned sociologist Charles Murray in his popular new book Coming Apart analyzed how, in the last 50 years, the American society has fallen into a state of social breakdown and anarchy. He regarded that the basic cause of this breakdown is that the individual has failed to have real satisfaction in four important areas of his life: family, community, vocation, and faith.
T
he worldwide dilemma facing 21st century youth is this: the gap between the rich and the poor is growing, the difficulty of looking for a job is increasing as a result of globalization, cultural conflict and the widespread terrorist activities are increasing, the medical breakthroughs caused by biotechnology and the danger of abusing genetic processing are concerning, the rise of China has caused a change in the balance of economies and politics, and the “China Threat Theory” has created a crisis. In addition, the “Digital Revolution” brought about by media technology has changed our way of learning, entertainment, friendships, shopping and lifestyle. The youth are empowered as never before. Their ability to associate with one another is greatly enhanced. They have a new platform to influence society, but at the same time they are easily addicted to the Internet. This dramatic change in our world situation, though it creates a dilemma for us, also gives us an opportunity in the midst of danger.
To change the dilemma facing society, we can no longer depend upon our economic and political leaders to bring about a breakthrough in a short time. To change the world, we need to start changing ourselves. We need to be different and we need to make a difference. As youth workers, when we want to be involved in activities causing social change, we need to cultivate broad perspectives when looking at things. For example, how do we bring about upward social mobility for the poor? How do we develop education for the whole being? How do we create a new culture with the youth? How do we fight for real democracy? How do we take up our responsibility of keeping the government accountable?
To be continued...
專題
Feature•
Interivew by: David Au
Amongst the next
Chinese Canadian immigrant generation: A dialogue on success, role models and parents’ impact Everyone has stories handed down to us which we either accept or challenge – of success, of who we are, and who we aspire to be. How do Chinese Canadian young adults identify themselves in those stories? We invited some of them for a conversation:
Immigrated to Canada when she was 14 months old, Joyce often thinks that being a Chinese Canadian is a privilege. Joyce is now in the School and Clinical Child Psychology PhD program at OISE/University of Toronto. Her research focuses on acculturation issues facing international students from East Asia.
Born in Toronto, Evelyn once wanted to be a singer. But her experience of being Asian in Canadian schools taught her to stand up for herself; finding her own voice in the process. Evelyn works as an editor for a fashion magazine. Her goal is to be a writer, bringing an authentic Asian female voice into the mainstream.
Facilitator, a father, a son, a musician and a pastor.
8 ACROSS • March 2015
Immigrated to Canada at the age of 11. In Grade 5, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a firefighter. As he found himself in the world of cinema, Joseph turns to help others through different media. He works full-time at a non-profit organization, delivering youth programs as his way to contribute back to the community.
What’s your definition of success?
My mentor used to tell me that many kids from Chinese families always ask him, “Why does my mom always want me to be successful? What’s the point of being successful?” But the question is who do we end up living for? Do you live for yourself or someone else? For me, my mom raised me simply wanting me to be happy, which gives me freedom and I respect her for giving me a choice. So I guess, for me, to be successful is to be happy and free.
Art is a huge thing to me. So success, for me, is to be able to do my craft, and I hope it transcends to other people as well. But I also hope that it can help me to maintain good emotional balance. When I was in high school, I was very depressed. My mood fluctuated day to day, swinging between extremes. So success also means a holistic balance of everything; it means being able to not get too far ahead of myself, and remembering things and people behind you.
As I get older many things tie me down. Now I can understand my parents’ viewpoint of being successful. The Chinese tradition of a son has embedded in me that I have to take care of parents. Especially when my dad passed away now, taking care of my mom and family means so much to me. For me, success is being able to help other people and contribute back to the community. If I can keep using different media to tell messages to build up others, it will be amazing!
To be continued...
March 2015 • ACROSS 9
植 根
是將整株植物連根遷移到另一
片土壤種植。道理很淺顯，但是，
當喻為移民連根拔起，在他國土地植根，重 新生活，就沒有那麼簡單了，這是遷移和重
建整個家園的事 ，是一趟往往超過我們能計 算的歷程。
選擇移民的理由有很多﹕追求較佳的
生活質素，安穩的社會環境，子女的未來，有 更好的教育機會等，最常說是要到更好的地 方生活。然而，生活本身是一連串相當複雜
的活動，包含﹕信仰、教育、言語、文化、族裔
傳統、人與人之間的相處、起居飲食方式等， 從這些生活活動，我們可以確認自己的身
分，明瞭我們是誰，我們家的所在。植根他鄉 就是將這一連串複雜的生活活動在另一個
新環境繼續進行，是一項龐大的工程，不是
換一個新環境，乃是要認真地改變原來的生 活模式，配合新的環境。新移民要作好心理
準備，持開放的心懷，迎接新事物，適應新文 化，要一次又一次放下自己的身段，調校對
Ro ot in g T Down
自己的期望。
he theory of transplanting a plant’s roots from one pot of soil to another to continue its growth is easy to understand. When a plant outgrows its original pot, it needs more space to grow. But when it is applied to us immigrants, transplantation means uprooting oneself to start a new life in entirely foreign surroundings. This move takes us on a journey beyond our expectations. To pursue a better quality of life, to seek a more stable society, to enhance education opportunities for our children – these are just some of the many reasons why families migrate. The most common of all reasons is to look for a better place to live. However, life itself is a complicated web of beliefs, education, language, culture, ethnic traditions,
Artwork by: 一，籽
and interactions among people. Through these activities, we confirm our identities, understand who we are, and discover where our home is. Uprooting ourselves to a foreign land means continuing our complex life activities in a new environment. This is an enormous undertaking! It is not simply living in a new place; rather, it means to seriously adapt to a new way of life to complement a new environment. Not only does the transition mean you need to open your mind and adjust psychologically to cope with new surroundings, it also means you need to forego your glorious history and lower your expectations. Your expectations change, but for whom?
植根
Rooting Down•
訪問: Holly Du | 文: 黃鳳玲 | Translated by: Joyce Mak
代 代 相 傳 的
尊身 貴分
f o s e i c y t a i g n e g i L D c i Ethn
黃
梅初( Moy Wong) 是生於汶萊的第二代華人。汶萊是一個
小小而富裕的東南亞國家，對公民資格管制嚴格，梅初雖
在汶萊出生，也不能成為該國公民；非公民受到諸多限制，諸如
做生意要有公民合伙人，不能置個人產業，必須取得更高分數才 獲得大學錄取。
雖然飽受排擠歧視，華人仍心懷優越感，以祖國擁有悠久的
歷史文化為榮，而視本地人為野蠻民族。梅初的父母和奶奶也毫 無例外，從梅初懂事起，長輩便一遍又一遍告訴她，他們的祖家
在中國那一省那一縣那一村，所以，她自幼便清楚知道自己的根 在哪裏。梅初仍然記得，在汶萊長年炎熱的天氣裏，奶奶仍穿高 領的大襟衫，直到她上中學那年，一天，她忽然覺得奶奶的打扮
好土氣，而羞與為伍。不過，她一直以母親身上的一襲旗袍為榮， 認為旗袍高雅大方，是中國人的驕傲。
後來父母因工作關係經常往來馬來西亞，梅初也順理成章到
馬來西亞接受教育。
待續…
植根
Rooting Down•
Centre: Moy Wong Left: Holly Du Right: Nicole Wong
M
rs. Moy Wong Tam is a second-generation ChineseCanadian woman who was born in Brunei, a small rich country located in Southeast Asia. Despite being born in Brunei, she could not receive her citizenship right away due to a list of rules such as requiring sponsorship and partnership agreements with local citizens to start a business and own a home. Other restrictions also included obtaining higher scores on graduation examinations for non-citizen students to receive a university education. Even though the Brunei Chinese people faced many restrictions that could have deterred them from maintaining their cultural identity, the Brunei Chinese remain proud of their Chinese identity in the richness of China’s history and culture when compared to Brunei. Moy’s sense of pride as a Chinese person is inherited from her parents and grandparents. Since Moy was a child, her role models have educated her about her ancestral home. She understood her roots clearly and was proud of most Chinese traditions, except for her grandmother’s Dajin long shirt. Moy remembers her grandmother wearing the same high-collared Dajin long shirt every day in the hot and humid weather of Brunei. Moy disliked this old-fashioned part of the Chinese look; and yet, she was fascinated by her mother’s cheongsam. Moy showed her pride vividly: “It’s Chinese pride.” Moy lived in Brunei until her teenage years and moved to Malaysia to continue her education.
At the age of 17, Moy and her sister flew to Vancouver to study. Three years later, she moved to Toronto to study at York University. In time, she obtained her Canadian citizenship, but the journey of adapting to life in a new place was not easy. When Moy and her sister first came to Canada as visa students, they had no one to rely on. They lost their former sense of superiority and with very limited connections, they had to be on their own. Because of this experience, she understood the difficulties that each new immigrant had to face every day. It sowed a seed in Moy’s heart to help ensure that every newcomer had somewhere to comfortably settle. After graduating, she found her first job in a social service organization whose purpose was to help new immigrants. She found the work deeply meaningful and fulfilling. She knew she had found the job that she loved. Over the years, she has continued to actively contribute to various organizations that share the same objectives. She reached her “dream job” as Executive Director of the Canadian Races Relationship Foundation. Furthermore, she also has been involved in research, education, racial discrimination and immigrant settlement issues. Due to her outstanding performance, she was awarded the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Centre for Immigrant and Community Services.
To be continued...
植根
Rooting Down•
Text by: Joyce Mak | 翻譯：張漢先 | Photo by: Harry Choi
Enter into the history of art 與老師對話– 訪藝術家何家強
談 熱 情 、 堅 持 與 成 敗
F
Left: Henry Ho, Right: Joyce Mak
rom the age of 12 to 18, in those formative years of being an adolescent, I studied art under the instruction of Henry Ho. I expressed an interest in learning to draw and paint, and my parents soon began bringing me to Henry’s classroom studio once a week after school. I had imagined that I would learn skills such as drawing and painting– activities I enjoyed doing. Little did I imagine that my time with Henry would be exceptionally formative, not only in my artistic abilities, but in my understanding of my Chinese Canadian identity, my faith and spirituality, and my approach towards life and success.
When the opportunity arose to interview an artist for this publication, Henry immediately came to mind. He was an artist who had influenced my life in profound ways, such as showing me the wisdom of ancient Chinese art and calligraphy while I was yet an arrogant, young Chinese Canadian with little appreciation of my Chinese roots. I was curious to learn more about Henry, his artistic lifestyle, and his artwork. The interview was light in spirit and deep in inspiration, revealing Henry to be a man with rich passion, vast wisdom, and focused determination to become a great artist. I first asked him, “How did you become an artist?” Henry explained that he had already been artistically inclined from a young age– every spare piece of paper would be covered with his drawings, sometimes even the furniture! When guests came to visit, he would draw them something as entertainment and everyone would applaud. As he grew older he began to read a lot, including a book of the 20 greatest philosophers and their work. Henry recalled with vigorous excitement one specific moment when he was 17 years old. He had been reading when suddenly he slammed the book shut in his hands, stood up, threw the book to the ground, and declared with one arm raised, “I am going to be an
To be continued...
當你知道再沒有人推動你的時候， 你仍然堅持要做下去， 那就是你真正的熱誠所在。
植根
Rooting Down•
Text by: Joseph Wong | 翻譯：翎
Modern Chinese Medicine Doctor 年 輕 中 醫
20 ACROSS • March 2015
懸 壺 濟 西 洋
T
he moment you step in the Evergrace Chinese Medical Clinic, you will not see the traditional Chinese herbal medicine lined up against the white walls in glass jars, neither will you smell the various ingredients. Instead, you will see a clean, modern clinic, walls painted in light brown, lined with Chinese calligraphy paintings of famous mountains, and bottles of Chinese herbal elements made into powder form. Ryan explains that modern powder medicine will help the doctor know the exact measurement and able to get the best essence out of the medicine itself.
Inspire the West with Ancient Wisdom Ryan Ho is one of the youngest Chinese medical doctor I have ever met, and he leads me to wonder how one young adult like him decided to train in an ancient Chinese profession. “Actually, my real dream was to become an author, writing novels about the love stories of ordinary people finding love as they go on their daily life. I still have that dream, but it may happen later in my life with more experiences and stories.” Ryan comes from a line of great Chinese medical doctors, where his grandfather gained his knowledge from a Chinese monk as a child, and practiced Wu Shu at the same time. His grandfather later passed this unique medicinal philosophy to Ryan’s father, eventually practicing in Hong Kong and China. Ryan moved to Toronto where he came to study during his teen years. At the time, both him and his mother would get sick a lot, so he experimented at home with his limited knowledge from helping out at his father’s clinic as a kid. It was the start of his new career path before he knew it. After high school, Ryan went back to Guang Zhou to study five years of Chinese medicine. “I did not really know what I wanted to become at the time, but as I was searching and exploring my life direction, I found that my grandfather actually influenced me a lot. Even though he passed away one month before I was born, the books and literature which recorded his philosophy about Chinese medicine impact me to this day. He showed me the depth of the Chinese history and culture, modern day Chinese medicine, our understanding of how the human body works and the way we practice may only capture twenty percent of the true essence.”
To be continued...
植根
Rooting Down•
文：洪雯華 | Translated by: Dexter Chu
Fusion Food 融 在 嘴 裏 的 中 西 文 化
對
華人來說,飲與食，是聯繫親朋好友感情 的一種方式，君不見咱老中打招呼的方
式通常是：吃了沒？吃飽沒？肚子餓嗎？要不要 喝點什麼？廚房有煲湯，飲唔飲湯？答謝朋友 便說：請你去飲茶。
我愛在各類食物中找尋類似馬可波羅東
遊後，中式飲食對後世的影響；生活在多倫多
這個多元文化城市，信手捻來，例子處處可見， 且待我一一道來。
Bubble Tea 最早起源自台灣的泡沫茶飲。
飲料店服務人員把新鮮紅/綠茶，倒入調酒器， 再加上冰塊及糖漿，以調雞尾酒姿勢，手搖出 帶有細緻泡沫的茶飲，稱為「泡沫紅/綠茶」 。
珍珠奶茶，就是在泡沫茶飲內，加入由木
薯粉做成的粉圓；粉圓未煮前，形狀渾圓顏色
偏白，所以稱為「珍珠奶茶」 。後來在臺灣南部， 有業者以香港80年代豔星葉子媚為靈感，推出
裝有大顆粉圓的「波霸奶茶」 。 90 年代，臺灣人 帶同波霸奶茶移民北美，英文譯為 Boba Tea
或是 Bubble Tea。
Fusion that melts in your mouth
植根
Rooting Down•
A
s it is often said, Chinese culture is profound, stretching back 5,000 years, and since ancient times it has been a way for ethnic Chinese to connect emotionally with family and friends no matter how far away they are. With the rise and fall of the sun, Chinese life has centered around all varieties of food. Have you not noticed the Chinese way of greeting usually revolves around these phrases: Are you hungry? Have you eaten? Are you full? Would you like a little something to drink? There’s some soup in the kitchen, would you like some? I love all kinds of food. Ever since Marco Polo toured the East, Chinese food has been spreading across the globe. Living in Toronto, examples of Chinese food can be seen everywhere. Let’s start with Bubble Tea! Bubble Tea first originated from Taiwan’s foam tea. One of the teashop personnel pours fresh red or green tea into a cocktail shaker, adds ice and syrup, then shakes it out into a delicate foam tea, making “bubble red/green tea”. It became a traditional way to drink tea, allowing consumers to enjoy an occasion with a fresh sweet tea and giving their taste buds the new experience of foam melting in their mouths. Pearl Milk Tea is bubble tea with added tapioca pellets, made from cassava. Uncooked tapioca pellets are whitish in colour, hence the name “Pearl Milk Tea”. Later, in southern Taiwan, a company took the 1980’s Hong Kong sex symbol, Amy Yip, as inspiration and launched larger tapioca pellets, producing Boba Tea. During the 1990’s, many Taiwanese people immigrated to North America, and “Boba Tea” came with them. In translation, the term appears as either “Boba Tea” or “Bubble Tea”. Considering this amount of background information, it must be mentioned that cassava made into round tapioca is not unique to Taiwan and can also be found in South East Asian desserts. But today, Bubble Tea is trendsetting around the world and is a good example of a “Chinese Substance, Western Use” fusion. Early Chinese settlers in the ethnic townships only knew how to fry Chop Suey and Chicken Balls and open small restaurants through self-reliance.
To be continued...
束 翼
翅膀，本來是上帝創造作飛行之用，但當翅膀被緊緊
束縛，要一飛衝天，談何容易。
除了「束翼」找不到更貼切的詞語來形容第一代移民的下一
代。那有少年不愛做夢﹖可惜夢想之翼被束縛著，不能任意飛翔。
無奈我們往往只看見年輕人的翼，卻看不見他們的束縛。這無形的 束縛是﹕身分的迷惘，無根而來的無歸屬感，文化共融與分歧，人 脈的局限，網上世界的紛亂，真假難分，往往都令今日的年輕人振 翼難飛。
RISING W UP
ings are naturally created for flying, but when wings are clipped, it is impossible to soar in the skies. I cannot find a metaphor more fitting to describe our youth today than birds trying to fly with clipped wings. I have never seen youth who do not like to dream, but with their constricted wings of dreams, how can they freely soar?
Artwork by: 一，籽
We only see their wings, but what we fail to see are the invisible restrictions placed on them by a myriad of forces: identity confusion, lack of a sense of belonging, cultural differences, networking difficulties, and a chaotic online world. These challenges have left the youth of today grounded with clipped wings.
束翼
Rising Up•
Text by: Jaden Cheng
HOW TO BE A VEGAN AND NOT GET IN THE WAY OF FAMILY O
n a cold, lazy day in February 2010, I went to a book shop and as I walked past the Top Seller’s table, an intriguing book caught my eye. What I thought would be a fun read surprisingly became one of the most influential and informative reads of my life- Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. It was such an easy and interesting read that I finished the entire book in just a few hours- I was hooked! I became vegan overnight without any hesitation and even further educated myself by watching documentaries such as Forks Over Knives, Food Inc., Earthlings...etc. I had become passionate for my own health and animal ethics just like that. As a vegan in a Chinese family that runs a Hong Kong style Chinese restaurant, I never feel that my dietary choices have excluded me in some way from my family’s traditions. There is a wide variety of plant-based options on the Chinese menu. I mean, don’t forget that there are a lot of Chinese people who believe in Buddhism and are vegetarians, so the options out there are limitless. Although, I must admit that I actually enjoy cooking my own Chinese meals a lot more than eating out since I am oil-, salt-, and MSG-conscious. As for limitations for vegans - it’s a fact that Chinese cuisine revolves around meat predominantly, but it’s a no brainer that I can still enjoy plant options! I was just in Shanghai a few months ago and stumbled upon an amazing Hunan restaurant. I have to say, they had a massive vegetarian section in the menu - the biggest one I’ve seen in Asia!! This is a big statement, but it was by far the best Chinese meal I’ve had since moving to Hong Kong!
To be continued...
30 ACROSS • March 2015
束翼
Rising Up•
文: 劉頌恩
民以食為天與地
兩代人的飲食距
R
離
ita 和丈夫同為愛吃之人，移民前兩口子經常在
香港大小食店尋找特色美食，移民後更開創港
式食肆；家中晚飯桌上必定有魚有肉有老火湯，一家 五口最愛叉燒炒蛋豉油雞。
一天，女兒 Jaeden 宣布成為素食者，起初 Rita
很不習慣。為了配合女兒的新飲食習慣， Rita 每餐飯
加一兩道素菜，又嘗試煲湯不放肉。
某次 Rita 在吃白切雞，女兒坐在旁邊，用手機播放 Youtube 視頻關於屠宰場
如何宰殺雞隻，一邊說「媽咪，好殘忍」 。女兒又告訴她，北美飼養家畜的方法很不
人道，在動物身上注射大量荷爾蒙、抗生素。 Rita 開始留意相關新聞，參加營養師
的講座，發現女兒說得的很有道理。
最重要是， Rita 明白女兒的出發點是為家人健康著想。有一晚 Rita 患了傷風
感冒，凌晨在客廳看電視，女兒在廚房洗洗切切，弄來一杯深綠色的蔬菜汁，叮囑 她一口氣喝完了，馬上去睡。 『愛心菜汁』實在難喝，但睡到半夜，鼻子果然通了！ 另一次 Rita 的丈夫喉嚨發炎，女兒又用她的方法，生蒜塗蜂蜜和香料，要他吃下 再喝一大杯水，連吃三天後，喉嚨發炎就好了。
女兒後來改吃全素，連雞蛋也不吃，甚至不吃任何煮熟的食物。身為母親，
Rita 最擔心女兒不夠營養，欠缺鐵質和維生素 B12。幸好女兒定期做身體檢查，
醫生說各方面營養均衡， 「女兒說她要當『白老鼠』 ，讓身邊的朋友知道不吃肉也 可以活得健康。」
待續…
束翼
Rising Up•
文: 洪雯華 | Translated by: Joanne Leung
尋問過來人:
家 位 何 , 何 為 家
20歲，花樣年華的年紀。
歲，生日那天，你想做什麼？你曾經做了什麼？ 20 歲，是一個什麼樣的故事？
五位同屬 20 歲年齡層的年輕人，選擇前往臺灣臺北
市紹興社區，用一個月的時間拍攝一部紀錄片，藉著影像 與觀眾探討「家諾：家位何、何為家」。
才20歲，怎麼會想要探討「家」的抽象意義？
「沒有特別挑選臺灣或臺北，乃是多倫多大學有一
門研究臺灣的課程：Global Taiwan，探討臺灣的歷史、地
位、認同感，與國際關係等等。」導演謝嘉怡( Betty)說。她
在多倫多大學主修亞太關係和電影。 2012 年，多大給該
系學生提供到臺灣觀察總統大選的機會，由是，她來到了 紹興社區，這才曉得臺灣政經中心的臺北市，亦有衰敗殘 破的老社區，它的故事等待有心人前來挖掘、敘述。就這 樣，她選擇去講述一群被世人遺忘了的歷史難民與臺灣 第一學府臺灣大學的抗爭故事。
待續…
束翼
Lisa
Yang
Rising Up•
B
eing a twenty year-old, you’ll find yourself at a blossoming stage.
If you’re twenty years old, what would you want to be? If you already passed the age of 20, what were some memorable things you’ve done? What stories can you share with us?
Numerous second generation immigrants find themselves struggling with their sense of identity. There are some who can ride on this tide, but others find themselves silently suffocating.
Five youths in their twenties chose to spend one month in the city of Shaoxing, Taipei, filming a documentary called “The Home Promised” that asks Where and Why We Belong.
Where is your real home? Where do you find your sense of identity?
What inspired you to ask yourself such abstract questions in your twenties?
Jessie
Betty, who is pursuing her major in Asia studies and film at the University of Toronto, and is also the director of this documentary, shares with us that she had the opportunity to study and visit Taiwan during the presidential election in 2012. Since then, she realized that in contrast to a flourishing city such as Taipei, you will also find a historic and forgotten city like Shaoxing. In this city, many stories are waiting to be uncovered, waiting to be told. Betty was so excited to dig into the stories behind a captivating history between of a group of refugees and the most prestigious university in Taiwan. “I didn’t specifically choose Taiwan or Taipei, but in school there was a course on Taiwan called Global Taiwan, which explored the topic of Taiwan’s history, her position in the global world, sense of identity, and international relations.”
Betty
How do you define home? And status? Or Sense of identity?
To be continued...
All five crew members of this documentary are from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Their parents hoped for a better future for their family, uprooted themselves from their hometown, and immigrated to Canada. Some of them won’t disagree to the fact that they hated it at the beginning and didn’t want to stay at all. Others would seek out friends who were on the same boat and shared the same brokenness, hoping that through sharing, they could find support and comfort. “In Shaoxing, or in my parents’ generation, having a roof over their heads was more real to them than having a “home”. But for me, there is something nostalgic about the meaning of “home”. Just like when I visited Shaoxing, I almost felt like I returned to my home in China. But I know when I return to my real home in China, it’s not like that anymore,” says coproducer Lisa. Yang, who sits beside her, nodded to agree. “After we returned from Taipei, I found myself being able to connect with
Dedicated to my Mom Erika @ 11 I looked for a spirit in my soul, And I found it standing, waiting for me. I guess I tried to run away, But I stopped for all the same reasons you told me, So, I won’t give up, and I won’t shout out, Sooner than it seems, she’s there waiting for me. She’s in my soul, and she loves me so, And when I come running back, she’s waiting for me with open arms. Her loving spirit is my guidance. Mom, you’re the light of my life. My laughter still booms with joy, and my tears are full of memories. Because of you, I learned to love myself. Thank you for teaching me to all I can be. Thank you for loving me.
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DearErika: Our communication started since the day I knew you existed in me.
D
ue to the potential risk of the pregnancy, I had to stay in bed for the first few months and was advised not to work. Therefore, you were almost my only audience while I was alone, lying in bed. I would tell you stories, share with you pieces of music I loved. Your movement inside my body, your heartbeat, and even your ‘kicks’, were proofs of your existence, a comfort to my fear of losing you. I remember on one occasion when I was attending an event, you were kicking me like you were doing gymnastics inside. “Ouch!” It was a harsh kick. Breaking the silence in that room, I felt so embarrassed. I didn’t know how to calm you down apart from quietly pleading with you to stop kicking me and gently patting your little bulging foot or fist. Wonders happened; you stopped. Your responses reaffirmed my belief that you and I were connected. Maybe that was the reason why it seemed to be so easy and natural for us to communicate throughout the years. We used to share almost everything and always asked for each other’s opinions. Possibly we both share a very sensitive and sentimental persona which allows me to read your mind without lots of barriers. Our ‘conversation’ continued in a different format after you were born. I could finally talk to you, sing to you, tell you stories, kiss you and hug you physically. When you grew a bit older, you loved to give people hugs and kisses too. But one very peculiar way of you showing affection was to rub the arms of the person you trusted and loved. You would drift through tight long-sleeves swiftly in order to reach the arm you desired. “Jeut jeut” (Cantonese which means “rub rub”), you would say this to the person whose arm you wanted to rub, including your favourite teachers and schoolmates. In the senior kindergarten year-end memorabilia, your teacher Mrs. Hawkins wrote: “Erika, I enjoyed sharing my arms with you.”
I was warned by my friend about her nightmare with her teenage daughter. She said the hormonal change at puberty could switch a daughter from an angel to a witch in a second. But I thought this would never happen to you as our bonding was so strong and we never had any communication problems. Besides, you had been super sweet and easy to deal with. But I was wrong. We did encounter moments when we were both in tears. Like many other teenagers, you still rolled your eyes, talked back at me without looking at me, wrote hurtful notes… but the most trying one came totally unexpected. Playing piano was always my childhood dream. Born into a family of seven in which the ends could hardly be met, it was a luxurious dream. I still remember how excited I was when I was given a toy piano as a gift. Even though I could hardly play music with that toy, it was one of my treasures at that time. I was overjoyed when you asked me if you could learn to play piano at the age of four. I really wasn’t sure if it was my dream or your dream come true when I brought you to the first piano lesson. You looked so proud sitting on the elevated piano chair and so satisfied bouncing your little fingers on the keyboard. But you probably didn’t know your mother beside you was just as proud and emotional. In order to ensure you practiced correctly, I also started taking piano classes for adults. So learning piano became our common mission at the beginning. But unfortunately the shared passion did not last. After 2 to 3 years of showing your keen interest, you became more and more reluctant to practice; the tension over the issues of responsibility and slackness grew between us. We used to talk over everything, but whenever we touched on the topic of practicing piano, our communication channel shut off. You seldom whined, but one time at the age of 10, in response to my ‘very serious’ warning which came with a raised voice, cross eyes and a long face, you struck the keyboard with all your might in front of me. I was shocked, then mad. Without a second thought, I grabbed your hand and hit it with mine. Both hands turned red. Your tears rolled
To be continued...
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Column• Column•
Text: Maria Yau | 翻譯：劉頌恩
Bridging the
Generation Gap:
A Step Towards Passing the Torch Maria Yau, Experienced Education Researcher
跨 越 代 溝 ：薪 火 相 傳 之 路
A
s in any society, generation gaps exist in terms of worldview, social conventions, lifestyle, communication, and/or work attitude. For immigrant families, this gap can be further intensified by an extra layer of cultural tensions. Most of our baby boomer parents are first-generation immigrants with deep-rooted cultural identities; on the other hand, their children - born or raised in North America – are often faced with a constant tug-of-war between their parents’ heritage and mainstream culture. This cultural gap has made the already existing generational rift even more challenging for many immigrant families. Despite the challenge, the generation gap between us and our children need to be bridged for the well-being of our next generation and future society as a whole. Research has shown that two of the key factors related to youth success and high resiliency are strong family relationships and availability of adult support in their community. Adolescents and youth that lack a nurturing relationship with their parents or who do not have a caring adult in their lives, are more likely to have low self-esteem, feel alienated, and become disengaged and prone to negative behaviors. Aside from adverse effects on personal well-being, at the societal level where multiple age groups coexist, deep generational divides can also compromise collaboration, harmony, stability, and even productivity or the overall welfare of a society. It is true that immigrant parents in general pay great attention to their children’s education with high expectations and with the best academic support they can offer. However, further research has revealed that there is an important missing link that parents tend to overlook. That is, many adolescents, especially those from immigrant families, seldom talk to parents about their problems or difficulties because they have the perception that their parents
Good communication is more than just having conversations To be continued...