On June 16th, 2015, I published an opinion piece in the Vancouver Courier entitled Asian heritage vital to Vancouver’s past and future, which argues that our links to the Asia-Pacific are far from new and go well beyond how we normally think about our connections with one another in the lower mainland and the lands across the Pacific. I provide examples of intermarriage between west coast First Nations and Chinese immigrants, such as Musqueam Elder Larry Grant, the legacy of the Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei and descendants of Canadian George Leslie and Taiwanese Minnie Mackay – an early “mixed race” union. I also touch on work recently presented in Vancouver by Frances Wood on the exchange of ideas between East and West along the Silk Road, which challenge the idea that our thought traditions are completely separate. The article concludes by suggesting that, while the trades of goods and services with the Asia-Pacific is essential for our long-term economic well-being, we should also pay attention the exchange of people and ideas. Je tiens à remercier ma chère amie, Claudia Dubuis, d’avoir proposée l’idée que la région métropolitaine de Vancouver est un “laboratoire du futur”. Bonne lecture!
