Celebrating Asian Canadians’ contributions: Canada 150
Then, Now, & Tomorrow: Weaving our Stories with Canadian History was a multicultural, multigenerational, and multisensory event at Knox College on October 14, 2017, celebrating Asian Canadians’ contributions to Canadian society on the occasion of Canada’s 150th anniversary.
Rev. Dr. Dong-Ha Kim, Director of Knox’s Asian Centre and of Knox’s Academic Programs, gave the keynote lecture, “Empowerment of Identity, Strengthening of Relationships: Contributions of Asian Faith Stories.” He said, “As members of Asian-Canadian communities, of Knox College, and as Christians, we are gathered to share our respective stories with each other, and with the greater community around us. Collectively, we have gathered to share our stories of what God has done in each of our lives.” He concluded, “Many of us have come to understand and to be proud of our individual identities, and that in turn has enabled us to be engaging neighbors to others in this country. That, I believe, is a major contribution that the immigrants of this nation have made to this nation. And that unique experience, I believe, has made Canada a nation of gentle relationships, caring relationships.” Rev. Kim’s sharing of his background set the tone for others to add their voices. Storytelling, music, and dancing featured Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese participants. The celebration concluded with fellowship.
Photos by Debora Rolls.