July 1 at the Museum

July 1 is a day of deep significance in Chinese Canadian history.

Historically, it is the day the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 went into effect – essentially barring all Chinese from entering Canada for a period of 24 years. Dubbed "Humiliation Day,” July 1 was a reminder of second class status for the Chinese Canadian community until the repeal of the Exclusion Act and the granting of equal rights.

Today, July 1 takes on a different meaning for Chinese Canadians. With the opening of the Chinese Canadian Museum – the first museum in the country dedicated to Chinese Canadian history and heritage – on this day in 2023, it serves as a marker for the progress made in the inclusion of Chinese Canadian voices within the Canadian national narrative. 

Join us in reflecting on the legacy of July 1 and celebrating Chinese Canadian legacies, both past and present. From Dr. Yao Sweden Xiao’s lecture commemorating marginal histories from the archives of The Chinese Times newspaper during the Exclusion Act era, journalist Christopher Cheung’s talk on the persisting model minority myth in the contemporary Canadian media landscape, to the unabashed celebration of Cantopop as a rallying point for the diaspora – there’s something for everyone to connect to in celebrating Chinese Canadian legacies this July 1.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025

• Location: Chinese Canadian Museum (51 E Pender St.)

• Schedule:
  10am-4pm – Drop-in Crafts: Make Your Own Cantopop Record!
  11am-12:30pm – Lecture: “Margins of Margins: Re/searching Forgotten
  Chinese Canadian Journeys in The Chinese Times” with Dr. Yao Sweden Xiao
  2-3:30pm – Lecture: “More than a Model Minority: Chinese Canadian Stories Beyond the White Gaze” with Christopher Cheung
  4:30-5pm – Live Music: Cantopop Performance with Stella & Johnathan 

• Cost: Included with admission

• Register: Registration link here

Drop-in Crafts: Make Your Own Cantopop Record!

Time: 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
Location: 3F Period Rooms (School Room)

Drop in for a fun, free craft activity the whole family can enjoy! Create your very own paper album record decked out with glitter, sparkles, and shine—just like a real Cantopop star. Add a special QR code sticker that links to a classic Cantopop or Mandopop music video, so your creation doesn't just look great, it also sings! All materials included, while supplies last.

Lecture: "Margins of Margins: Re/searching Forgotten Chinese Canadian Journeys in The Chinese Times"

Speaker: Dr. Yao Sweden Xiao
Time: 11 A.M. - 12:30 P.M.
Location: 3F Board Room

This public lecture with Dr. Yao Sweden Xiao explores the undertold vicissitudes of Chinese Canadian lives and expressions through The Chinese Times (1914 – 1992), one of the longest-running Chinese-language newspapers in Canada that was published in Vancouver Chinatown. Drawing on personal farewell letters, editorial essays, ads for everyday escapes, as well as community news of mutual aid, resilience, and collective protests, Xiao brings to light the subtleties of inter-group relations, the reverberations of global geopolitics, the power of grassroots literacy, and the evolving role of culture in shaping diasporic Chinese Canadian identification. At its heart are the soulful and indignant voices of forgotten migrants – underpaid workers, dreamers, lifeline connectors, nonconformists – whose embers of hopes and sorrows glow at the margins of minoritized memories, underrepresentation, and above all, long overdue human dignities.

Lecture: "More than a Model Minority: Chinese Canadian Stories Beyond the White Gaze"

Speaker: Christopher Cheung
Time: 2 - 3:30 P.M.
Location: 3F Board Room

We have arrived at a time when Chinese Canadians are celebrated for their work ethic, contributions to society, and colourful culture (who doesn’t love dim sum?). Journalist and Under the White Gaze author Christopher Cheung walks us through how the “model minority” stereotype in news stories can hide truths and cause harm.

About Under the White:

Canada’s multiculturalism stops where most newsrooms begin. Despite recent efforts to increase diversity in the media, people of colour are often presented as clichés – from freeloading immigrants to keepers of exotic culture – rather than as individuals with complex stories.

Under the White Gaze is a candid investigation into the state of race in Canadian media today that challenges the way we think about the news we read, watch, and listen to.

Live Music: Cantopop Performance

Performer: Stella & Johnathan
Time: 4:30 - 5 P.M.
Location: 2F Feature Gallery

Wrap up a day of festivities on a high note with an electrifying live performance by Cantopop duo Stella & Johnathan, led by the dynamic Stella Wung alongside musician Johnathan Chan. Taking center stage at the immersive Dream Factory installation, Stella will transport you through time with soulful renditions of classic Anita Mui hits and more. Get ready for a moment of nostalgia, energy, and pure musical joy!