All posts by : Sam

“As the MLA for Burnaby-Deer Lake, I am pleased to offer this congratulatory letter to the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society’s 26th annual explorASIAN Festival. This event showcases the artistic and cultural diversity that Asian Canadian communities bring to Canadian society. Diversity and multiculturalism are what make our province such a beautiful and welcoming place, and the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS) is a fantastic example of this. By hosting this festival each year, we are given a chance to honour the growing communities of Pan-Asian heritage and their rich, vibrant history in Canada. I am proud to support the VAHMS, and I am grateful for their partnership as we grow and unite our community together. I am excited for more people to learn about VAHM’s work. I hope to see VAHM continue their work for many years to come. Please accept my sincerest thank for your incredible work, and warmest wishes for a successful festival! “

Anne Kang

MLA Burnaby-Deer Lake

“It is such an incredible experience to attend VAHMS events each year. VAHMS’s programs and agendas help people from different walks of life to gather and share their cultures and life experiences together. I benefited by attending to their events and got to meet talented and inspiring people from different backgrounds. I think VAHMS is doing such a unique and amazing job to promote diversity and inclusion in the Canadian multicultural society.”

“SFU Vancouver is proud to support the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society (VAHMS). Our partnership with VAHMS is a long tradition that reflects our shared values. The explorASIAN Festival in particular is a celebration that showcases the rich diversity of talent in the Asian diaspora. SFU aspires to be “Canada’s Engaged University” and our alliance with the VAHMS is an ideal forum to engage with our diverse communities.“

“The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society is one of the stalwarts of the community dedicated to promoting cultural and educational awareness of the diverse Pan-Asian communities living in Vancouver. Vancouver Asian Film Festival is the longest running Asian festival in Canada and as we look forward to celebrating 25 years, we must acknowledge the tremendous contributions and positive impact VAHMS has had on VAFF and thank them for their continued support, partnership and collaboration over the years.” 

“Twenty-four years ago, when I was Director of the David Lam Centre for International Communication at SFU’s Harbour Centre campus, my friend Bev Nann asked me to book a room to welcome a diverse group of Asian Canadian community leaders who wanted to discuss possibilities for organizing annual events in celebration of Vancouver’s Asian cultural heritage. Of course I was happy to cooperate, and thus began the movement that culminated in the official creation and registration of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society as a non-profit organization. It very quickly grew from a handful of Asian Canadian cultural events, scattered through the month of May, to become THE organizational medium for maximum exposure of cultural events planned to take place in and around the month of May by affiliated pan-Asian Canadian cultural organizations. I was delighted to maintain contact with VAHMS since its formation, and was even honored to serve a term as co-president one year.  I can’t tell you how happy and proud I am to have been associated with such a talented, devoted and diverse group of Asian Canadian cultural leaders and activists, and to wish you all many more years of successful leadership.”

“explorASIAN is one of the most important festivals in Vancouver and British Columbia.  For more than twenty years now, it has upheld the values of Canada’s diversity.   In a time when racial antagonism is spreading throughout the world and in our community, the message and programming by explorASIAN is as relevant as ever, in understanding, educating, and bringing people together to share, celebrate, and enjoy each other’s cultures and beliefs.”

Allan Cho

Executive Director, Asian Canadian Writers Workshop

“The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society and explorASIAN make exceptional contributions to our cultural life and working with them to ensure the success of the festival was a fantastic experience. As a volunteer, I truly valued the camaraderie, generosity and hard work put in by the board, staff, and other volunteers. VAHMS’s community outreach is exceptional—their programs are inclusive, diverse, and always relevant. They’re a bedrock of the community.”Lou Corpuz-BosshartVolunteer and Social Media Coordinator/Photographer (2019)

“For the past 24 years the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society has been bringing together Asian Canadian communities through Culture, Education and Social Advancement. As a volunteer I am so honoured to be able to participate in a festival that promotes the Asian Canadian experience to our multicultural society. Now more than ever in the midst of a pandemic and visible anti-racism sentiment we are fostering and strengthening a sense of belonging as well as retaining pride in our Asian roots. So looking forward to our 25th anniversary celebration.”

Jeff Chan 

VAHMS, Ambassador

“The Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society and explorASIAN make exceptional contributions to our cultural life and working with them to ensure the success of the festival was a fantastic experience. As a volunteer, I truly valued the camaraderie, generosity and hard work put in by the board, staff, and other volunteers. VAHMS’s community outreach is exceptional—their programs are inclusive, diverse, and always relevant. They’re a bedrock of the community.”

Lou Corpuz-Bosshart

Volunteer and Social Media Coordinator/Photographer (2019)