NEWS RELEASE. B.C. s multicultural champions reap awards

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1 For Immediate Release 2015MIT Nov. 21, 2015 NEWS RELEASE Ministry of International Trade and Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism B.C. s multicultural champions reap awards VANCOUVER Five multicultural champions were recognized Nov. 20, 2015, before friends, family and their peers at the sixth British Columbia Multicultural Awards event. This year s award recipients reached out to people over the airwaves, in the classroom, at community centres, through work and on the web; providing training where it was needed and attracting people of all cultural affiliations to their cross-cultural events and outreach activities. Government received 204 nominations for awards in five categories: individual, organization, business, youth and multicultural excellence in government. The multicultural awards recognize individuals, organizations and businesses whose exceptional work helps bring diverse cultures together by embracing diversity and promoting multiculturalism. Nominees selected for an award are chosen by an independent panel of judges with expertise in multiculturalism and anti-racism. The 2015 British Columbia Multicultural Award recipients: Individual: Henry Yu Organization: Vancouver Co-operative Radio Business: Nana s Kitchen & Hot Sauces Ltd. Youth: Crecien Bencio Government: Royal BC Museum All award recipients receive a trophy and those selected in the first four categories noted above also receive $5,000 to be donated to a non-profit organization of their choice to further support the promotion of multiculturalism in the province. The British Columbia Multicultural Awards (previously known as the Provincial Nesika Awards) were first held in The name was changed this year to better reflect the purpose of the awards and to promote multiculturalism. The multicultural awards event is organized by the Government of British Columbia with advice and support from the Province s Multicultural Advisory Council (MAC). Quote: Teresa Wat, Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism Diversity has made our province stronger both economically and socially. These awards recognize the exceptional work done by award recipients and nominees alike to further

2 multiculturalism in all walks of life. Each of them is a role model in their respective fields and we can all learn from their achievements. Quick Facts: Since 1988, B.C.'s Multicultural Advisory Council has promoted cross-cultural understanding and respect throughout the province. B.C. welcomes nearly 40,000 new immigrants every year. Almost 30% of British Columbians have emigrated from another country in their lifetime and one-quarter of the people in the province are self-identified visible minorities. In 2015, the B.C. government will provide nearly $1.7 million to engage cultural groups, to fight racism and discrimination and to promote multiculturalism. Learn More: British Columbia Multicultural Awards: B.C. Multicultural Advisory Council: A backgrounder follows. Media Contact: Media Relations Ministry of International Trade and Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism Connect with the Province of B.C. at:

3 For Immediate Release 2015MIT Nov. 21, 2015 Individual Award BACKGROUNDER 2015 British Columbia multicultural awards recipients Henry Yu has devoted thousands of hours to ensuring that the legacies of early Chinese Canadians and their relationship to First Nations are better known by all British Columbians. As a history professor, he teaches students about the cultural and historical ties between First Nations and Asia Pacific migrants in B.C. Through his work, he challenges assumptions derived from B.C. s colonial past and the subsequent ethnic discrimination. His approach to this work is notably through collaborative projects such as Chinese Canadian Stories: Uncommon Histories from a Common Past and the Vancouver Dialogues Project, both of which engaged young and old from diverse communities. He is also a co-chair of the B.C. government s Legacy Initiatives Advisory Council formed in 2014 to oversee implementation of the Chinese Legacy Projects. Yu plans to donate his cash award to the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre Museum of Migration (PCHC-MoM) Society a registered non-profit organization he co-founded to build a wider and improved understanding of Canada s history and growth through intercultural explorations of historic and current trans-pacific immigration. The money will be used to attract matching funds for its educational community outreach program in Organization Award Founded in 1975, Vancouver Co-operative Radio (CFRO, FM) is a multi-lingual, non-profit community radio station that provides the Greater Vancouver area with independent public affairs, music and arts programming. Located in Vancouver's Eastside, Co-op Radio s mission is to produce creative and engaging programming for communities whose voices are underrepresented in the mainstream media. Co-op Radio has 80 locally-produced programs that air on the station each week. Co-op Radio s on-air programming is produced by more than 300 volunteers who speak the languages and know the stories, experiences, and music of their own diverse communities. The volunteers are first trained in production skills, and are then able to provide access to news and events for non-english speaking people in their communities. This in turn encourages more community members to engage within their cultural community and build ties with the broader community. Vancouver Co-operative Radio plans to use its cash award to support its continued multicultural community-based on-air programming and support the training of volunteers. Business Award Ministry of International Trade and Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism

4 Nana s Kitchen & Hot Sauces Ltd. was founded in 2001 by Shelina Mawani and Nasim Dhanji, immigrant women from East Africa who started selling food to small cafeterias. Now, the company s products are found in grocery chains across North America. Nana s Kitchen employs 35 production workers made up of mostly immigrant women who lacked work experience and English-language skills when they were first hired. Employees are given the opportunity to learn English and develop computer skills, with some also learning how to operate a forklift. Five of the company s workers are supervisors who have been with Nana s Kitchen for more than 11 years, and according to the owners, they have excelled far beyond expectations. Mawani notes that it is a proud moment to see that, All our women supervisors are fully trained forklift operators and can load up to 10 skids in large trucks from our loading docks and fill out all the required documents in English using a computer. All workers complete first aid and FoodSafe certificates, and today, Nana s Kitchen is the only federally-approved Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plant in British Columbia. Mawani and Dhanji plan to donate their award money to the Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) that supports new immigrants in British Columbia, in particular, a home PICS operates for battered women aimed at helping build the women s selfesteem. Youth Award Crecien Bencio is a community development worker in the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood of Vancouver which brings him face-to-face with issues of isolation and inclusion among recent immigrants. As a cultural connections liaison at Collingwood Neighbourhood House, Bencio focuses on community capacity-building through projects that celebrate diversity through literacy, visual, and performing arts. In this context, neighbours explore and challenge their own identity, and learn more about their own and other people s history. Currently, he is also collaborating with the Renfrew-Collingwood Food Security Institute to publish a book that showcases the resilience and cultural resources among youth in the neighbourhood through sharing histories in the context of food. Bencio plans to donate his award money to Kathara Philipino Indigenous Arts Collective Society which is hosting the Babaylan conference in Vancouver. Kathara Society is a non-profit organization that strives to preserve and celebrate indigenous voice along with the assets and knowledge of cultural groups. Government Award The Royal BC Museum (RBCM) is a world-class venue for showcasing B.C. s history through its exhibitions, programming and public outreach that promote multiculturalism, diversity and cultural sensitivity. For example, in May 2014, on the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru incident, RBCM, in partnership with the University of Victoria, hosted a series of events to discuss and reflect upon lessons learned. And in August 2014, RBCM joined 13 other Canadian institutions in the Landscapes of Injustice project to conduct research and develop a travelling exhibition about the forced dispossession of homes and properties owned by Japanese Canadian citizens during the Second World War. Through these exhibitions and its online tools, RBCM enables visitors to discover cultures, past and present, which have been integral to the

5 makeup of British Columbian communities. The government category does not receive award money. Media Contact: Media Relations Ministry of International Trade and Responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism Connect with the Province of B.C. at: