Chinese Canadian legends honored

A group of outstanding Chinese Canadians were honored at the 2023 Chinese Canadian Legend Award event in Toronto.

Organized by the Chinese Canadian Legend Awards Association, the annual event recognized individuals of Chinese descent who greatly contributed to Canadian society and fostered understanding, respect and integration of multiculturalism in Canada, according to the organizers.

Among the six award recipients, Hong Kong-born David Leung is one of the pioneers who helped provide education to impoverished children in rural areas. He joined the Fu Hui Education Foundation in 2005 to assist children in Liangshan in Southwest China's Sichuan province. Liangshan, officially the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, is a small city and region comprising much of the south of Sichuan.

As vice-president of the foundation, Leung used his camera to record Fu Hui's education aid journey — all the trips into the deepest mountains, visiting families in their remote homes, and supporting more than 5,000 students over the past 18 years. Meanwhile, Leung said he witnessed "tremendous progress" in China.

"The exceptional progress in Liangshan's education strategy and China's poverty alleviation program have improved the standard of living in the region," Leung said. "Today's Liangshan is very different from that of 18 years ago."

Chinese Deputy Consul General Cheng Hongbo, who presented the award to Leung, expressed his gratitude for Leung's long-term contributions and participation in poverty alleviation and education development in China's rural mountainous areas. Cheng also stressed that over the past 20 years, the legend award has inspired countless Chinese in Canada to make unremitting efforts to improve their status and the image of the community.

"On the occasion of reflecting on the centenary of the Chinese Exclusion Act and facing the current new challenges, it is of special significance to carry forward the spirit of self-improvement, resilience and dedication of outstanding Chinese representatives," Cheng said. "I hoped that more overseas Chinese will contribute to the local society and the China-Canada relations while achieving their own careers."

Jenny Pu, who came from the Chinese mainland, won her award by establishing the breast cancer support group for Chinese Canadians.

Being diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer 17 years ago, Pu actively faced the challenges presented by the disease, coordinating treatments to heal body and mind. She began providing post-surgery support services to breast cancer patients in 2012, serving clients from all ethnic groups.

In 2013, she started a breast cancer support group, shared her own experiences, and provided encouragement to fellow breast cancer patients. In its 10 years, the group has not used community funding, instead raising money for the Cancer Society.

The support group renamed itself "Phoenix" to signify rebirth out of fire.

Nurjehan Mawani, chairperson of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, who presented the award to Pu, said the Chinese Canadian success stories are important to be remembered because "they are about building a strong, vibrant and pluralistic Canada."

Mawani appreciated the extraordinary resilience and compassion of Chinese Canadians such as Pu to assist others in their time of suffering.

"The heroes we celebrated in our communities are often unsung heroes who went through their own incredible will determination and want to serve others," said Mawani.

Daniel Quan-Watson, the first Chinese Canadian to become a deputy minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, was honored for shedding light on racism with his own personal experience.

As a descendant of Head Tax Payers, Quan's grandfather arrived in Canada in 1923 just before the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed. He was raised by Caucasian adoptive parents and said he both enjoyed white privilege and endured overt and subtle racism. But he "is proud to be Chinese", Quan said.

"My families have been in Canada for five generations from China. Over the generations, our ancestors have taught children and the next generation of citizens," Quan said in his award speech.

"We have become lawyers, engineers, historians and negotiators, and studied medicine; we have become public servants, fought in times of great upheaval for all Canadians, and we have helped Canada's economy prosper. One even became deputy minister," said Quan to applause.

Quan interacts with Indigenous peoples with understanding and respect, helping with reconciliation between Indigenous Peoples and the Canadian government. In 2020, he wrote an open letter to address systemic racism, sparking debate to change the status quo.

"We often think of things like racism, sexism, discrimination as being overt — where there's no argument about whether or not the act was discriminatory. But in fact, many of the instances are far more subtle," he noted.