3. MUSE: Storytelling the Untold Parallel Food Distribution Network

Organization Information

Organization Name

MUSE (Multilingual Understanding Shared Education)

Mission and Vision of Organization

MUSE aspires to share stories and bring people together through experiential education. We hope to achieve this through improving the quality and range of educational, heritage and other community-based work in Chinatown through collective action as a consortium. Our core values are education, heritage, community and authenticity. We aspire to preserve and enhance cultural heritage through education for the benefit of current and future generations

Guiding Principles + Values

MUSE is a registered non-profit and charity, which functions as a collective of four Vancouver-based organizations: UBC Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC), Hua Foundation, Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC, and Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Our connection to Vancouver Chinatown is at the heart of our identity as longstanding community-based organisations. Celebrating cultural heritage and experiential education are what guide our actions.

Contact Information

• Primary Contact Person(s): Winnie Kwan (she/her), Dr Henry Yu (he/him), Jenny Lu (she/her)
• Email: winnie_kwan5@hotmail.com,] [[1]], [[2]]
• Phone: NA
• Address: NA
• Website: https://instrcc.ubc.ca/initiatives/projects/chinatown-muse-society/

Preferred Method of Contact

• Best method(s) to contact: Email
• Best day(s) to contact:tbd with community partners
• Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons

Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration

• Email
• Phone
• Zoom

Project Description

Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?

The impacts of recent climate events and the COVID-19 pandemic on our local food systems were captured in various news outlets and through personal experiences. For example, we have witnessed the cargo congestion at the Port of Vancouver and how it has affected supply chains locally and internationally.

This project is the first phase of a bigger initiative to encapsulate key nodes in our food distribution network, with a special focus on the roles of Asian Canadians in the food supply and consumption chain. Students partaking in this project are assigned to create a high-level framework that captures these nodes in our local food distribution network.

Suggested key hubs are the Produce Row, independent grocers in Chinatown, Big Bend farms and nurseries, local greengrocers, and others.

Main Project Activities and Deliverables

• Research key nodes and the roles played by Asian Canadians in the Greater Vancouver food distribution network
• Display findings in the form of a story map or any digital visual presentation that is accessible to a general audience who are unfamiliar with the issue/topic
• Documentation of the students' findings will include suggestions for an “adventure” experience that highlights the key nodes, by bringing their audience on a journey to explore the nodes through a multimedia experience (e.g. story map, VR video, living PDF, or other interactive storytelling mediums)

Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proficiency reading, reviewing, and condensing academic and non-academic literature and information
• Creativity and interest in storytelling
• Interest in community programming
• Strong organizational skills

Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?

• NA

Will the project take place online, in person, or a combination?

• Online and in person

Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?

• No

Related Community Service Opportunities for Students

• Depending on individual/group performances throughout the course, students might be offered a paid internship position to work with UBC’s INSTRCC organization on community engagement programs, including possible internships with various local organizations

Required Reading

Project/Partner Orientation Materials

Students should review these materials prior to the first partner meeting:

• Produce Row Podcast by Winnie Kwan and Jenny Lu
• Covered Roots: The History of Vancouver’s Chinese Farm
• Gibb, N., & Wittman, H. (2013). Parallel alternatives: Chinese-Canadian farmers and the Metro Vancouver local food movement. Local Environment, 18(1), 1-19.

Additional Project/Partner Orientation Materials

The following will be provided at the first community partner meeting:

• NA