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UBC - Laurier Institution Multiculturalism Lecture – 2004

Mina ShumRedress: "Journey of a Hyphenated Girl"

Guest lecturer: Film maker Mina Shum

About the speaker:
At age 30, and with freshly dyed blonde hair, I went to Mainland China for the first time, to see relatives I’d never met before. When I returned, my very traditional father asked, “What did you learn? I said, I’m not Chinese” and his face flushed red with anger, looking like he was about to disown me for good this time, and I continued, “I'm Chinese-Canadian.”
This story was among the personal stories award-winning filmmaker and author Mina Shum shared in the first annual UBC Lecture on Multiculturalism.

Listen to the podcast

		
		
		
		
		
		

This program was originally broadcast on CBC Radio One's "Ideas."
The program is broadcast Monday through Friday from 9 to 10 pm (9:30 NT).

Part of UBC’s celebration of Multicultural Day, Shum’s lecture, entitled New Day Rising: Journey of a Hyphenated Girl, focused on how she came to embrace her “hyphenation.”

“In the Chinese community, I am not Chinese enough and in the mainstream, I am just one-dimensionally Chinese,” says Shum. “In sharing my personal experiences, I hope to encourage others to embrace their particular journey.”

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada, Shum’s first feature film Double Happiness explores the challenges of straddling two cultures. The film premiered at the 1994 Toronto International Film Festival and received critical acclaim at film festivals in Vancouver, Berlin and Torino, Italy.

Shum’s latest film Long Life, Happiness, and Prosperity has appeared in more than 20 international film festivals.

UBC Lectures

LaurierLogoThe UBC – Laurier Institution Multiculturalism Lectures are signature events hosted by The Laurier Institution in partnership with the University of British Columbia and CBC Radio One. Since 2004, these annual lectures have featured guest speakers who are leading thinkers and visionaries in the field of multiculturalism.

We invite you to learn more about an upcoming lecture. View one of the lecture profiles below or register to receive our free newsletter.

For a digital version of past lectures, please visit our Podcasts
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