- September 27, 2023
- 7:00pm
- Shelf Life Books
Laughing Back at Empire
The Grassroots Activism of The Asianadian Magazine, 1978–1985
Laughing Back at Empire is a groundbreaking examination of The Asianadian, one of Canada’s first anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-homophobic magazines. Wong’s work amplifies Asian Canadian voices that speak, shout, and laugh together at empire’s self-congratulatory and exclusionary narratives.
On September 27, 7:00 PM Angie Wong is launching Laughing Back at Empire at Shelf Life Books. This exciting new book is a ground-breaking examination of The Asianadian, one of Canada’s first anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-homophobic magazines.
While The Asianadian only ran from 1978 to 1985, it had a long-lasting impact on Canadian culture and established a national platform for then-emerging Asian Canadian artists and activists like Sky Lee, Jim Wong-Chu, and Joy Kogawa.
Angie will be joined by the co-founder of The Asianadian Cheuk Kwan and major contributing Asianadian volunteer Jean Chong to discuss the impact of the magazine on Asian-Canadian identity and culture.
Presenters
Angie Wong is a Senior Consultant with Alberta Health Services and a lecturer at Mount Royal University.
Cheuk Kwan is the co-founder of The Asianadian, a magazine dedicated to promoting Asian Canadian arts, culture, and politics, and film production company Tissa Films. His cinematic works—Song of the Exile, Latin Passions and Beyond Frontiers—braid his personal experiences with his love of travel and appreciation for Chinese culture worldwide. He now resides in Toronto, ON.
