On June 19th, 2020, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month hosted our very first Virtual Recognition Awards Ceremony. We were joined by our President, Leticia Sanchez, Minister of Citizens’ Services Hon. Anne Kang, VAHMS directors Jing Palad, Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan and Patricia Woroch, festival coordinator Jasper Sloan Yip, and musical guest VI AN. You can stream the entire ceremony here, and learn about our three … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: June 2020
Indigenous Heritage Month
In June, we celebrate National Indigenous History Month, an opportunity that we all have to honour the heritage, contributions, and cultures of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Celebrating National Indigenous History Month in June is an important tribute to the heritage and diversity of First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities across Canada. Recognizing the historic contributions … Continue reading
Remembering Wayne Ngan
VAHMS is saddened to learn of the passing of renowned BC ceramicist Wayne Ngan last Friday at the age of 83. The impact of Wayne’s life and work on the BC craft community cannot be overstated. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Wayne Ngan was born in 1937 in a small village near … Continue reading
Virtual Recognition Awards Preview
Our Virtual Recognition Awards Ceremony is coming up this week on Friday, June 19th and we want you to get to know this year’s honourees before the big event. You can register now to tune in live and be a part of our first ever virtual ceremony. REGISTER NOW: https://bit.ly/2Yx2me4 The Honourees: Sima Ghaffarzadeh is … Continue reading
VAHMS’ Open Letter
I am writing on behalf of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society to express solidarity with communities of colour in BC and around the world who have long suffered under systemic injustice within our societies, as well as those individuals who have been victimized during the COVID 19 pandemic. A key role of the Vancouver … Continue reading
Remembering Alireza Ahmadian, Advocate for True Inclusivity
Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society recognizes the potential of a diverse Vancouver and advocates for equity, inclusion, collaboration and the social integration of Asian-Canadian communities. VAHMS appreciates the social benefits of multiculturalism and believes in the peaceful and respectful coexistence of not only Pan-Asian communities but of all ethnocultural groups in Canada. As these values … Continue reading
An Interview with Sujit Vaidya
Sujit Vaidya is an independent Bharatanatyam artist living in Vancouver, British Columbia whom you may recognize from this year’s festival poster. As an interpreter, he has performed extensively in Canada, US, Europe and India. He has many solo margam presentations (traditional Bharatanatyam repertoire) to his credit and has performed in duet and group productions with … Continue reading
A Letter From Our President: The End of Asian Heritage Month 2020
The month of May marks Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and as it comes to an end, I reflect on how different explorASIAN Festival celebration was this year with most of its signature events, tours, film screenings, and gatherings being cancelled or postponed. In past years, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society, its partners and … Continue reading
Virtual Recognition Awards Ceremony – June 19
Following the conclusion of our first ever Virtual explorASIAN festival, the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS) is pleased to announce our annual Recognition Awards Ceremony will also be going virtual. Since its foundation in 1996, VAHMS has been dedicated to recognizing Asian-Canadian participation as an integral part of Canadian society by promoting understanding and … Continue reading