Sushi is no longer an ethnic food, its a Vancouver Food
Today's Vancouver Sun uses the example of four best friends who all comes from different ethnic backgrounds, to illustrate as a city of "cultural sharing." Where good things (like sushi, yoga, and butter chicken) are just regarded as good, not as, "the ethnic stuff that I'll indulge in everynow and then, but really have no place in my regular life."
How ahead IS vancouver in leading this perhaps inevitable trend of cultural fusion? NYC for example, is right up there in my opinion. Thoughts?
Oh, and Schema Magazine, and our sexy publisher, Alden Habacon, is also quoted in the article. So now you MUST read it.
Beyond diversity: Why Vancouver is a world leader [Vancouver Sun] (thanks Pansy)
On that note, there always seems to be an argument that we are losing our Canadian culture because of the wide range of cultures. However, in my mind, I believe that IS our Canadian culture. The model to the world. All races, all cultures living together as one in perfect harmony (well almost perfect..heh), and not in segregation but together. I am proud to be Canadian to show the world that in Canada I can be who I am, share my culture with others, learn about other cultures, and incorporate them into my life without fear of persecution and perjudice!
Sometimes I think we're so spoiled in Vancouver and Canada that we don't truly understand how blessed we are to live in a city and country that is open to all cultures (in most places...).
Hmmm, where am I now....oh yeah...Sushi is good and hot butter chicken is good too. It's true though, whenever my friends and I go out to eat, we don't think of these excursions as some "special ethnic" dinner, but just as one of the many choices that Vancouver offers.
Posted by: Keiichi Morisato at May 23, 2004 02:49 AM
I think the big difference between NYC and Vancouver in terms of cultural integration is that New Yorkers don't pat themselves on the back about it as much. It's a city of immigrants and transients so it's just sort of accepted, not used as a defining characteristic of being a "New Yorker." For every example of 4 best friends from 4 different ethnic backgrounds, I'll give you ten more of mono-racial cliques (NY and Van both). Though using restaurant savviness as a yardstick of cultural tolerance and acceptance is incredibly shallow and stupid. If that were a good measuring metric, than NYC is the most advanced city in the world for sure.
Posted by: lys at May 23, 2004 06:58 PM
I absolutely agree with Liao (previous comment). As flattering as it was to have my words headline the Sun's article on diversity, overall it only scratched the surface.
I was disappointed to see the reference go back to food. This is not what makes the experience of diversity unique in Vancouver. I was even more disappointed to see this larger than life picture of an Asian girl and white guy, as the "voice" of mixed-race couples. What I wanted to see was a dark skinned third-generation Hindu South Asian man and his Japanese Bhuddist wife. That is far more interesting and brings up the fact that as Vancouver grows increasingly diverse, things aren't going to be easier - they're going to get more difficult. We are constantly negotiating and dealing with issues of xenophobia and ethnic segregation. And despite having the highest number of mixed-race marriages in N.America, there are still very little marriage between minorities.
The point is, there is an opporunity here like none other in the world. Beyond food, beyond hybrid styles of music. It's the evolution of multiculturalism, but not in the American/British/European sense of integration, but in fact "cultural accomodation." A resolving and maintaining of difference, and ensuring that that is at the core of our culture. Cultural integration assumes a melting pot, which is what we are trying to resist, while also trying to fight segregation. I don't think we even have the language to describe the kind of balance.
Perhaps, Vancouverites do give themselves too much credit. Most of our arts and cultural organizations are still run by British ex-pats. But don't tell me that NYC hasn't branded itself as the cultral mecca of the world over the last fifty years! At its height none of us were even alive. There are certianly a lot of similarities between NYC and Vancouver. The hope is that Vancouver will play a different global role as the world economy shifts to China and India. What is beginning to happen in Vancouver happened in NYC decades ago. This self-celebratory sensibility is a phase, and will pass as the official voice of Vancouver shifts FROM those who "talk about Vancouer's diversity" TO those who actually live it. You know what I'm saying.
Posted by: Alden E. Habacon at May 24, 2004 01:22 PM
This is totally true! Whenever I'm away from home...the comfort food is always SUSHI!!!
Posted by: Andrea at May 25, 2004 07:10 PM
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On that note, there always seems to be an argument that we are losing our Canadian culture because of the wide range of cultures. However, in my mind, I believe that IS our Canadian culture. The model to the world. All races, all cultures living together as one in perfect harmony (well almost perfect..heh), and not in segregation but together. I am proud to be Canadian to show the world that in Canada I can be who I am, share my culture with others, learn about other cultures, and incorporate them into my life without fear of persecution and perjudice!
Sometimes I think we're so spoiled in Vancouver and Canada that we don't truly understand how blessed we are to live in a city and country that is open to all cultures (in most places...).
Hmmm, where am I now....oh yeah...Sushi is good and hot butter chicken is good too. It's true though, whenever my friends and I go out to eat, we don't think of these excursions as some "special ethnic" dinner, but just as one of the many choices that Vancouver offers.
Posted by: Keiichi Morisato at May 23, 2004 02:49 AM
I think the big difference between NYC and Vancouver in terms of cultural integration is that New Yorkers don't pat themselves on the back about it as much. It's a city of immigrants and transients so it's just sort of accepted, not used as a defining characteristic of being a "New Yorker." For every example of 4 best friends from 4 different ethnic backgrounds, I'll give you ten more of mono-racial cliques (NY and Van both). Though using restaurant savviness as a yardstick of cultural tolerance and acceptance is incredibly shallow and stupid. If that were a good measuring metric, than NYC is the most advanced city in the world for sure.
Posted by: lys at May 23, 2004 06:58 PM
I absolutely agree with Liao (previous comment). As flattering as it was to have my words headline the Sun's article on diversity, overall it only scratched the surface.
I was disappointed to see the reference go back to food. This is not what makes the experience of diversity unique in Vancouver. I was even more disappointed to see this larger than life picture of an Asian girl and white guy, as the "voice" of mixed-race couples. What I wanted to see was a dark skinned third-generation Hindu South Asian man and his Japanese Bhuddist wife. That is far more interesting and brings up the fact that as Vancouver grows increasingly diverse, things aren't going to be easier - they're going to get more difficult. We are constantly negotiating and dealing with issues of xenophobia and ethnic segregation. And despite having the highest number of mixed-race marriages in N.America, there are still very little marriage between minorities.
The point is, there is an opporunity here like none other in the world. Beyond food, beyond hybrid styles of music. It's the evolution of multiculturalism, but not in the American/British/European sense of integration, but in fact "cultural accomodation." A resolving and maintaining of difference, and ensuring that that is at the core of our culture. Cultural integration assumes a melting pot, which is what we are trying to resist, while also trying to fight segregation. I don't think we even have the language to describe the kind of balance.
Perhaps, Vancouverites do give themselves too much credit. Most of our arts and cultural organizations are still run by British ex-pats. But don't tell me that NYC hasn't branded itself as the cultral mecca of the world over the last fifty years! At its height none of us were even alive. There are certianly a lot of similarities between NYC and Vancouver. The hope is that Vancouver will play a different global role as the world economy shifts to China and India. What is beginning to happen in Vancouver happened in NYC decades ago. This self-celebratory sensibility is a phase, and will pass as the official voice of Vancouver shifts FROM those who "talk about Vancouer's diversity" TO those who actually live it. You know what I'm saying.
Posted by: Alden E. Habacon at May 24, 2004 01:22 PM
This is totally true! Whenever I'm away from home...the comfort food is always SUSHI!!!
Posted by: Andrea at May 25, 2004 07:10 PM
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