The Asianadian was the first Canadian magazine aimed at Asian Canadian people. Created in Toronto, it ran for 24 issues which were published from 1978-1985. The magazine remains a significant part of Asian Canadian culture and the only inclusive Asian Canadian periodical to date.[1]
| Discipline | Culture |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publication details | |
| History | 1978–1985 |
| Publisher | Asianadian Resource Workshop (Canada) |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
| Standard abbreviations | |
| ISO 4 | Asianadian |
| Indexing | |
| ISSN | 0705-8861 |
| Links | |
In the beginning, the periodical was to be called Crossroads, and intended to be a Hong Kong News magazine written in Cantonese for Chinese and Hong Kong Canadians. Eventually the project evolved into the Asianadian after a conversation between the three founders at the Mars Restaurant in Toronto.[2] The three founding members are Tony Chan, Cheuk Kwan, and Lau Bo.[3]
Stance and mandate
editThe goal of the magazine was to foster a sense of community, cultural identity and political consciousness within Asian Canadian communities.[1] It aimed to address and represent experiences and issues faced by Asian Canadians.
The partial position of the magazine was unique in the way that it took a radically anti-oppressive position on topics pertaining to sex, sexual orientation, race, culture and more.
Editorial content and notable works
editThe Asianadian covered a wide range of topics and featured essays on various subjects, including:[3]
- Essays on being Gay, Lesbian, and Asian.
- The anti-W5 civil rights movement.
- Muslims in Canada.
- Asian Canadian views on Quebec.
- An interview with filmmaker Wang Wang.
Legacy
editSince 1985, no other periodical has filled the gap in the market for a serial made for Asian Canadians. Yet, The Asianadian has been the subject of dissertations and studies across Canada. The magazine is remembered as key publication for many Asian Canadian people who grew up in the time that the periodical was running. There is an existing wiki that contains archived copies of each issue.[4]
Archives
editThe collection is found in the Toronto Public Library, the University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, and the University of Washington.
From February to May 2022, Hania Ilahi and Hau Yu Wong organized a presentation of the entire publication of The Asianadian.[5]
References
edit- 1 2 "The Asianadian – An Asian Canadian Magazine". Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ↑ "The Asianadian: An Asian Canadian Magazine". asianadian.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- 1 2 "Asianadian". Asian Canadian Wiki. Retrieved 2024-06-20.
- ↑ Wong, Angie (2018-10-19). The Asianadian, 1978-1985: Hybridity and Resistance in Theory and practice (PhD in Humanities thesis). York University.
- ↑ "CENTRE A READING ROOM PRESENTS: REVISITING THE ASIANADIAN". Centre A. Retrieved 2024-06-24.
Further reading
edit- Li, Xiaoping (2007). Voices Rising: Asian Canadian Cultural Activism. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
- Jim, Alice Ming Wai (2015). "Asiancy and Visual Culture: The Asianadian Magazine, 1978–1985 / « Asiancie » au Canada et la culture visuelle: la revue Asianadian : An Asian Canadian Magazine (1978–1985)". Journal of Canadian Art History / Annales d'histoire de l'art Canadien. 36 (1): 155–179. ISSN 0315-4297.
- Wong, Angie (2023-07-09). "Then and now: the Asianadian and the radical spirit of community care". Canadian Dimension.
- Wong, Angie (September 2023). Laughing Back at Empire (1st ed.). Canada: University of Manitoba Press. ISBN 9781772840292.