The Chinese-Canadian news presses' coverage of Canada's recognition of the People's Republic of China and its effects on the Vancouver Chinese community, 1968-1972

This research project examines the diverse and competing responses of Vancouver's Chinese community to Canada's diplomatic recognition of the People's Republic of China in 1970. It investigates the reasons and underlying forces that shaped the position of the proponents and opponents of recognition. Additionally, this project considers how the recognition debate or controversy relates to the historical development of overseas Chinese organizations and nationalism. Vancouver-based Chinatown News and Chinese Times, which represented the opposing stances in the debate, provide the source materials. They are also the subjects because they shaped the local Chinese community's political and cultural discourse. Few studies on recognition include the wider perspective of the Chinese immigrants and their descendents. This project shows that the Canadian-born Chinese turned their stance on recognition into an open challenge against the postwar hegemony of the traditional ethnic associations and the overseas Chinese identity that they perpetuated. This transformation was conflict-ridden.