While attending the annual Coordinated Arts Programs Conference (CAPCON 2016), I was struck by the complexity of the work done by my peers. The amount of effort and pride in the various projects was visible in the showcases and the presentations. I think it was a great way to conclude the year of CAP and the knowledge we’ve gained and serve as a foundation for future analyses as Arts students. Although all the projects were noteworthy, a standout presentation was “Tracing “Oriental” Discrimination in the Chung Collection,” an archival project by Anna Waveney, Emma Elsner, Emily Leung , and Mishal Tahir.
“Taking “Oriental” Discrimination in the Chung Collection” was presented in the showcase area and through an infographic made by the Anna, Emma, Emily, and Mishal. Their analysis detailed a chronological timeline of notable events in relation to Chinese discrimination in Canada from 1880 to 1947. The events are accompanied by rich visuals such as a Head Tax Certificate, a letter from the Mayor to the Chinese people in Vancouver, and a photograph of a barbershop after the Anti-Oriental Riots in Chinatown in 1907.
There is a ladder that is depicted throughout the infographic and each event is connected to a rung, where the placement on the ladder is representative of the events’ place in time. The ladder, which begins in China and ends in Canada, also represents the journey of Chinese individuals, and to a greater extent, “Orientals,” as they leave their home country and become true and accepted citizens of the Canadian population. I argue that the way in which the events are depicted to show a journey create a story of their experiences that seems to end with the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which resulted in the allowance of Chinese people to vote.
Although this is an archival project that analyses documents from the Chung Collection, I would have liked to hear more about their opinion on the current situation of Chinese people in Vancouver- has discrimination ended with the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act?
I believe that in the creation of a story representing the Chinese experience in Canada, they made the information more accessible to audiences. In addition to the use of an infographic, which is visually smile to read and pleasing to look at, ordering the events and making a narrative of the information can facilitate the understanding of a reader. I think this ties in well to the topic in Arts Studies (ASTU 100) of auto/biography. Creating a story of a collective or personal experience can provide insight into a topic in a much more meaningful way than simply stating the facts. Alfred Thompson argues that the “emotional and rational knowledge contained within life stories can give us a broader perspective on the human face of development” (Thompson 3) and deepen our understanding of the effects of development on individual lives. Auto/biography can go beyond simple historical references.
Congratulations to the CAPCON presenters, the members of the Global Citizens stream, and to all the students in the Coordinated Arts Program!
