Community Partner: Chinatown Today
Student Researchers:
Cheng Chi (池骋) is a first-year master’s student in the Department of Asian Studies at UBC, focusing on the lived experiences of working-class Chinese female immigrants in Vancouver and the complex dynamics of Asian-Indigenous relations in Canada.
Rea রিয়া Chatterjee is a second generation bangali settler, student and community organizer. They are currently studying psychology at UBC with hopes to work in community archives and libraries in the future. On and off campus she’s worked in struggles of anti-imperialism, climate & migrant justice, and mutual aid work.
Tying A Story of Chinatown: A Community Storytelling of Chinatown’s Past, Present and Future(s) is a community-centered initiative that explores the rich history and cultural significance of Vancouver’s Chinatown through storytelling and mapping. It challenges colonial narratives that have historically marginalized Chinatown, emphasizing the lived experiences, resilience, and agency of its residents. Organized around three core themes—loss and grief, community and connection, and dreams and futures—the project weaves together personal stories, historical accounts, and everyday experiences to illuminate the complexities of Chinatown’s past and its aspirations for the future. By amplifying voices often overlooked in dominant discourses, the project seeks not only to preserve the neighborhood’s unique character but also to inspire a collective reimagining of Chinatown’s future.