By Carolina Salinas The history of Asian immigration in Canada goes back to more than 150 ago, when Chinese workers arrived in the west coast to build the Pacific Railway in the mid-nineteenth century. These Asian Canadians not only contributed to building Canada physically, but also culturally, because they provided the country with a wide range of diversity and backgrounds. During the month of May, VIBE105 is spotlighting contributions of FIVE Asian Heritage organizations, dedicated to providing a wide variety of support to the Asian-Canadian community. The Ottawa Asian Heritage Month Society is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political and non-religious organization dedicated to sharing Pan-Asian-Canadian heritage. Every May, the society organizes and coordinates cultural events to promote the large Asian heritage among the Canadian society in Ottawa, Ontario. This society has representatives and individuals from China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, Nepal, Mongolia, Vietnam, among other Asian countries. For further information visit their website, or check them out on Facebook or Twitter. The Asian Heritage Month Society of Edmonton was founded by former Mayor Bill Smith in May 1998. This organization became the first in Canada to celebrate Asian Heritage, officially recognized by a civic and provincial government. Since its origins, Edmonton´s Asian Heritage Month has contributed to promoting Asian cultural works, as well as the inter-generational exchange of ideas and experiences about oriental culture. This society is dedicated to organizing and facilitating social, educational, literary events and performances whose content is focused on the Asian culture. In addition, this organization supports writers, artists and performers with its publication, production and showcasing of work. The Asian Heritage Month Society of Edmonton encourages members to capture family and local histories, so that they can be shared with their community, along with the help of schools and libraries. The Asian Heritage Society of New Brunswick (AHSNB) has organized and supported activities to promote Asian Canadian history, culture and art since 2003. This society hosts lectures, educational roundtables, food workshops, film festivals, art workshops and several other activities for children with the purpose to promote Asian culture and history in Canada. Throughout the years, the AHSNB has become a part of a growing network that aims to create a celebratory environment for Asian Canadians. For further information visit their website or check them out on Facebook. The Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba consists of representatives from Japan, China, India, Vietnam, Korea and the Philippines who have been responsible for planning and organizing a wide range of activities to exhibit the Asian culture in Canada for more than 16 years. This society plans to make May 2019 the best Asian Heritage Month of its time, offering the public a variety of performances and educational events that showcase the talents of the Asian community in Manitoba. The society also believes that supporting their local community is the key to their success and future goals. For further information visit their website or check them out on Facebook or Twitter The Canadian Foundation for Asian Culture has contributed to promoting Asian culture among the Canadian society, for over nine years. The foundation has provided artistic exhibitions and educational presentations in various venues, such as museums, institutions and community centres. One highlight to take away from this foundation is the Virtual Museum of Asian Canadian Cultural Heritage (VMACCH), which showcases the artistic expressions of Asian culture, such as music, visual art, dance, film, photography, and science. The Canadian Foundation for Asian Culture has also provided huge support for students in the GTA, giving out scholarships, bursaries and awards to those in high school and post-secondary students. They have also provided various equipment, furnishings, teaching aids, and supplies to educational institutions in Central Ontario. For further information visit their website or check them out on Facebook These five Asian Heritage Organizations aim to help the public learn more about the history of Asian Canadians, by celebrating their heritage and enormous contributions to the growth and prosperity of Canada in terms of culture, education and work.
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