Project Impact

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About The Project

Project Impact

This project primarily benefits Chinese Canadians in Edmonton, especially those who have experienced systemic discrimination, cultural stereotyping, or language-based exclusion. Through a culturally affirming retreat, multilingual writing workshops, and resilience-centered storytelling, participants explored their lived experiences of racism, identity, and belonging in English and heritage languages.
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Project objectives

1. Community-Rooted Planning and Co-Creation

Led by the Edmonton Chinese Writing Club, this project is developed in collaborations with the Department of East Asian Studies of the University of Alberta with active engagement from the student organization – the East Asian Studies Undergraduate Students’ Association, the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, the City of Edmonton Archives, the Action for Healthy Communities, and the local writers, artists, and other communities. Together, they ensure the project’s cultural relevance, intergenerational inclusion, and responsiveness to the lived experiences of Chinese and other East Asian Canadians.

2. Writers’ Retreat: Healing-Centered and Culturally Grounded

The one-day retreat in the Action for Healthy Communities which is located at 10578 113 St

NW, Edmonton, will offer a relaxing, safe, and reflective space for the Chinese and other East

Asian Canadians, especially immigrants and newcomers, to share experiences and begin crafting personal narratives. The retreat will include:

  • Writing workshops in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese
  • Guided exercises grounded in traditional principles of balance, non-contention, and transformation
  • Facilitated discussions on racism, identity, and cultural memory
  • Mentorship by experienced writers and cultural practitioners

3. Public Symposium: Intercultural Dialogue and Knowledge Exchange

The one-day public symposium held in the north campus of the University of Alberta will feature keynote speech, panels, workshops, and dialogue sessions designed to bridge communities and foster mutual understanding. The event will include:

  • A keynote presentation on Daoist-inspired anti-racism
  • Intercultural Panel Discussion
  • Creative writing workshops through traditional wisdom lens
  • Roundtables with educators, activists, and community leaders on anti-racism education
  • Call to Action breakout sessions
  • Cultural showcase and networking

4. Bilingual Anthology and Community Website

A bilingual anthology by PageMaster Publishing in Edmonton will publish selected works by
participants, allowing stories to reach both English-speaking and heritage-language communities. The project website will:

  • Host digital versions of part of the anthology and writer reflections
  • Feature videos and transcripts from the symposium
  • Serve as a long-term educational resource for teachers, youth workers, and cultural organizations
  • Allow continued storytelling submissions, extending the project’s reach and legacy

5. Philosophical and Narrative Framework

The project integrates Chinese philosophy as a philosophical framework to approach anti-racism in a way that honors East Asian cultural worldviews. This methodology invites:

  • Non-confrontational, reflective exploration of systemic harm
  • Resilience without hatred
  • Emphasis on harmony, resilience, and transformation rather than direct conflict
  • Affirming authentic identity
  • Storytelling as both testimony and quiet resistance
  • Communal practice not about “calling out” but about “inviting in.”