Community Partner: Chau Luen Athletics Society
Student Researchers:
Jessica Chen is a second-generation Chinese Canadian settler studying Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia.
Ivan Kwong is a second-generation Chinese settler studying Biochemistry at the University of British Columbia.
Celine Liu is a second-generation Taiwanese Canadian settler studying Chemistry at the University of British Columbia.
Yuanqi Sun is a Chinese international student studying Geography at the University of British Columbia.
Project Description:
This project was completed by the ACAM 320J student team in collaboration with Chau
Luen Athletics in Vancouver. As one of Vancouver’s longest-standing Chinese community
organisations, Chau Luen has long undertaken the preservation of intangible cultural heritage and community cohesion through training in lion and dragon dancing, alongside Choy Li Fut Kung Fu. However, a notable absence persists among active participants aged 19–24, bridging the gap between youth and the 25–35 age cohort. This ‘missing middle’ not only complicates course enrolment and retention but also signifies a weakening link in the chain of cultural transmission during young adulthood, warranting further examination.
Against this backdrop, our research aims to understand why young people in this age
bracket remain detached from traditional martial arts, and what these intensely physical cultural practices – such as lion dancing and martial arts – actually signify within their lived experiences. Through meticulous fieldwork, we aim to help community organisations better grasp young people’s concerns, obstacles, and expectations, while deepening our own understanding of how culture is inherited and reimagined within immigrant societies.