Calgarians encouraged to celebrate Chinese culture

Ahead of The Year of the Dog on Friday, Calgarians joined the festivities leading up to Chinese New Year.

For the 26th year, Calgary’s Chinese Cultural Centre is hosted the Chinese New Year Festival on Sunday, which included performances, food and more.

Tony Wong, vice-president of the centre, said events like these are not only a large part of the Chinese culture, but they also help to reduce stereotyping against Chinese people.

“Slowly the attitude of the society changes and discrimination [fades] into the background,” he said.

More than 20 years ago, Iris Cheung immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong. She said she brought her Canadian-born children to the event because it’s good for them to celebrate traditions.

“At least they know their roots, yet they still get used to the western culture, but they’re still part of their heritage,” she said.

When he was a teenager, Austin Liew immigrated to Canada from Malaysia. He said even though the celebration of Chinese New Year isn’t nearly as big in Canada as it is in Malaysia, he and his wife bring their children to the festival every year.

Ophelia Liew said she wants her children to experience their cultural roots.

“Growing up in Canada with a different kind of ethnicity, it’s really important to just, kind of, like share Canadian identity, but also your own ethnic identity,” she said.

Liew said growing up as a first-generation Canadian she was pushed to be a good citizen, meaning her own culture took a back-seat, but she plans to pass along a different message to her children.

“I think there’s room for both your own identity and a Canadian identity and you don’t have to choose between one, or the other,” she said.

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