B.C.'s first dumpling festival bridges cultures through food
There will be mandus, wontons, baos, patties and raviolis, a sample of what’s to be expected at the inaugural B.C. Dumpling Festival.
On the surface, it’s a food festival but its purpose is to fight racism by bridging cultures through dumplings.
“We're really promoting so many different cultures. And with dumplings, it's so multicultural, right? Every single country really has a dumpling … I think that's how we all connect with each other,” explained organizer Gina Chong.
Chong is not a festival organizer by trade; she’s a small business owner and realtor.
She became involved in anti-racism work after facing an ugly encounter during the pandemic.
In April 2021, she and a friend were walking around Town Centre Park when a stranger asked them to help take her picture.
Chong said they declined because they didn’t have hand sanitizer with them and were concerned about COVID-19, that triggered the woman to go into a racist tirade.
“She said, ‘COVID came from you. It came from your country. Go back to China.' And that was quite shocking for us to hear,” Chong said.
Since that incident, she founded the Asian Arts and Culture Society, which is putting on the dumpling festival.
Burnaby’s On On Wonton House is one of the vendors at the event.
Mona Chan said elderly relatives experienced racial violence, in which one of them suffered a broken cheekbone, and they both are feeling pain months later.
It was a traumatizing event that has especially impacted her teenage daughter.
She said the dumpling festival has helped give them a voice and sense of empowerment.
“We're answering the call because of the fact that my daughter wants to make it known that we want to stand up for anti-racism and racial harmony,” Chan said.
Her daughter made a cheeky bao called the “kick butt bun” to fight back against racism.
She said at one of the festival’s smaller events, she saw the positive impact of the festival on the family.
“Yesterday night was the first time that I saw this face behind me,” she said pointing at her daughter, “glow and smile and be proud of our ancestry … The B.C. Dumpling Festival is like Christmas in July for us.”
Elimin8hate, a non-profit which strives for racial equity for Asian Canadians, said events like the B.C. Dumpling Festival can play a part in combating prejudice.
“We really feel that representation and quality and diverse representation is a great way to reduce systemic racism,” said executive director Audrey Wong. “Repeated and ongoing exposure to Asian Canadians and Asian Canadian cultural norms in a non-threatening situation can normalize and familiarize people with Asian Canadians.”
Chong said she wants to make the B.C. Dumpling Festival an annual event, with smaller dumpling-making workshops throughout the year.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the non-profit pay for security, tents, fences and other logistics.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Court to hear about search for remains as Winnipeg murder trial enters second day
A courtroom in Winnipeg is expected to hear testimony today about the search for the remains of the four victims of Jeremy Skibicki.