Expats’ right to vote

Letter to the Globe & Mail Published August 1, 2015 Many of those who left Canada did so for professional reasons in a labour market that is increasingly globalized. They still hold deep ties to Canada; indeed, each expat is an unofficial diplomat for the country in their (temporarily) adopted land. Allowing those of us living beyond the political borders of Canada – but with attachments to the country – to have a political voice helps to shape a country with a more informed international policy (among other things), which is highly relevant in a society where trade and the cross-border movement of people are significant. The Canadian identity is not defined by residency, but by a set of values, and by the belief in promoting these positive ideals around the world through our churning number of a million-plus “diplomats.” Kai L. Chan, Dubai Letter as it appeared in the G&M © Copyright 2015 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Short End of the Stick

Letter to the PAW in response to: Undergraduate Yield Up, Grad Yield Down Published on October 8, 2014 Students of Asian descent at Princeton (and elsewhere in the United States) seem to get the short end of the stick on campus, as highlighted by two articles in the June 4 issue. With respect to the racial composition of the school (“Undergraduate Yield Up, Grad Yield Down”), Asians are touted by school administrators as “minorities” in order to add to the diversity count of the class. Yet it is also well known that administrators place a higher bar for Asian students in admission to college, where they have to outperform not only their minority peers on entrance examinations (by large margins) but also whites (as highlighted by the research of sociology professor Thomas Espenshade *72) to have the same chance of admission. And on campus, even though the single largest racial minority group is Asians, discussions about race, discrimination, stereotypes, etc. never seem to include them (“Student Dispatch: Encounters With Racism, Captured on a Whiteboard”); yet there are many negative prejudices that the group has to deal with. Too bad the whiteboard campaign did not include an Asian student holding a sign proclaiming:…

Canadian politics

Letter to the Economist (Oct 4th 2014) SIR – Stephen Harper and his Conservative party will have a hard time staying in power after the next federal election in 2015. This is not because of scandals and voter fatigue with the current government, or of intrinsic liberal values of Canadians, but because the Conservative movement is not aligned with the socio-demographic realities of Canada. Among the three national political parties, the Conservatives have the lowest shares in Parliament (i.e. MPs and senators) of women (22%); French speakers (12%); and ethnic minorities (10%) in their party, in a country where the French-speaking and ethnic minorities each account for about a quarter of the population. Simply put, the Conservatives do not look (or sound) like the face of Canada. Kai Chan Dubai Letter as it appeared in the Economist (online edition only). Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Limited 2014. All rights reserved.

It starts at home

Letter to the Globe & Mail (September 18, 2014) It starts at home Twenty-plus years ago I would have been one of Hieu Ngo’s interview subjects (Young Gang Members: Their Numbers Are Increasing, But Why?– Sept. 16). The gangs described in the report are reminiscent of the groups I associated with as a teen. Although each person who has has stumbled in life as a teenager (or an adult) has a complex story, the one overriding factor that is almost universally common is the absence of human capital at home. Many of the social constructs that middle-class families take for granted – e.g. parents reading to children; discussion of life or politics at the dinner table – are largely absent from immigrant families, especially those from less developed countries. If we want to build a better society, it all starts at home. Kai Chan, Dubai Letter as it appeared in the G&M © Copyright 2014 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Preserving his Canadian-ness

Letter to the Toronto Star (June 27, 2014) Preserving his Canadian-ness Re: Suppressing vote of expats latest Conservative court battle, June 24 Suppressing vote of expats latest Conservative court battle, June 24 The attempt by Minister of State Pierre Poilievre to deny long-term expats the right to vote shows a small-minded view of the world. I left Canada in 1999 after completing university to pursue doctoral studies in the United States. After graduating I have since lived and worked in Europe, East Asia, the U.S. and now in Dubai. One thing that has always been true is that I — and many of the expat crowd — have maintained strong connections to Canada while living in our host countries. (The hockey beer league in Dubai in which I play is 70 percent Canadian and we frequent the local Tim Hortons and smoked meat restaurant here.) In the digital and globalized era borders have become less relevant. Living abroad is a great experience that every Canadian should try at some point in their life if they are able to. I found that my “Canadian-ness” increased after leaving Canada as I was then able to appreciate much more how great a nation…