For most of us, the Canada-Asia relationship is an afterthought at Schema : more than ethnic

For most of us, the Canada-Asia relationship is an afterthought

VancouverSun.com

Hanna Cho and Jean Michel Montsion write a provocative piece about the oversight of the 2010 Winter Games to acknowledge the connection between Asia Pacific and Canada.

Sunday marked the first day of the Lunar New Year. Many of us here in Olympics-obsessed Vancouver forgot this, and had Olympic organizers had their way, the 36th Vancouver Lunar New Year festivities and parade would have been cancelled, due to "security and other concerns."

Fortunately, a compromise was reached, and Vancouverites of non-Asian and Asian heritage alike had the opportunity to come together in celebration of an important Canadian holiday.

And, perhaps, reflect on how Canada's future connects with Asia and whether this relationship is one that impacts them in a way that goes beyond lanterns, dumpling soup, and the politics of revitalization in Chinatown.

Amid the Olympic frenzy, it's not hard to understand why organizers wanted to do away with any additional road closures and crowd management activities. However, this near-cancellation is symptomatic of, and clearly exemplifies, a grave underestimation of the importance of Canada's connection with Asia.

That is, for most Canadians, the Canada-Asia relationship is an afterthought, and mainstream notions of what and how it is configured often remain rooted in outmoded culturalist perspectives that see little beyond parades and ethnic enclaves. This was demonstrated to the world with the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, with a glaring omission of any mention of the role of Asian heritage in Canada's history and future.

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