Minelle Mahtani

Minelle Mahtani



Associate Professor

Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice

Email: minelle.mahtani@ubc.ca

Minelle Mahtani is an Associate Professor in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice. She is the winner of the Hubert Evans Book Prize for best non fiction of 2025 for her memoir, “May it Have a Happy Ending” (Penguin Random House/Doubleday). She teaches courses like “Risk, Relation, Revolution, Repair” and “The Canadian Creative.” She is a former radio host and television news producer.

The Body at Play: Basketball as Place, Identity, and Community

On October 29th, 2025, ACAM320J hosted Dr. May Farrales and Dr. Sharnjit Kaur Sandhra for an open lecture sharing their work on the role of basketball in Asian Canadian placemaking, identity shaping, and community engagement.

“The Body at Play” was an opportunity for guests to engage with the different histories and experiences of basketball in Punjabi and Filipinix communities. With this as a starting point, both Dr. Sandhra and Dr. Farrales elaborated on the dynamics of the sport that happen beyond the boundaries of the court.

Dr. Sandhra’s “We Are Basketball” exhibition was on display and accessible for attendees to view and interact with by creating their own basketball player card. The objective is for those experiencing the exhibit to make their own contribution, highlighting someone in their own life or someone others may not know, and to include them in the canon of iconic players.

I grew up playing sports myself and was surrounded by other Punjabi kids and those from the larger Asian-Canadian diaspora who enjoyed basketball. As a child, I always found it curious that we weren’t as represented in professional leagues.

Dr. Sandhra illuminated some of the barriers faced by those in post-secondary basketball: racism and discrepancies in treatment between South Asian players and white players. She emphasized the importance of spaces that are inviting for specifically South Asian players, such as the annual Indo-Hoops tournament.

The significance of basketball shows up in more casual ways as well. Dr. May Farrales spoke on their research about the ways masculinity for the Filipinix community is negotiated in those spaces. I really enjoyed hearing the firsthand interview quotes Dr. Farrales shared from fathers who use basketball to bond with their sons, to men who use it as an outlet between workdays. Each one offered a unique relationship to the sport.

The most impactful aspect of this event was to see the power of solidarity between communities. The last portion of the lecture was dedicated to audience questions, opening the floor to Dr. Sandhra and Dr. Farrales to expand on the concepts that resonated and inspired further discussion. Guests inquired about the place for women within the politics of basketball tournaments, the gender binary of sports teams, and how we can do better as a community to support local sports.

Opportunities to engage in conversation about the power of sport are rare. Even rarer still is the opportunity to enter a space that emphasizes hearing one another.

Reflection by Rhea Mann

Photos by Devon Meadows

Enemy Alien: Tamio Wakayama Exhibit Tour + Fireside Chat

On November 2, the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) Program hosted an exhibit tour of Enemy Alien: Tamio Wakayama at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The exhibit is the first comprehensive retrospective on the Japanese Canadian photographer and his important work documenting social justice movements such as the Civil Rights Movement and Japanese Canadian Redress activism. During World War II, Wakayama, like many Japanese Canadians, was declared an “enemy alien” and forcibly interned by the Canadian government. He spent his life dedicated to activism and using his artistic practice to tell stories of community and justice.

The event brought together ACAM students, faculty, and Japanese Canadian community members to engage with Wakayama’s work and to learn from the exhibit’s curator, Paul Wong, and Wakayama’s partner, Mayumi Takasaki. One of the students in attendance at the tour, Rayna Friar, has kindly shared their reflections below:

After learning about Wakayama in ACAM 300 I became interested in his work and how Wakayama used his photography to fight for justice for the Civil Rights Movement. Seeing his photographs in person was a breathtaking example on how solidarity can be forged between different communities and the power of photography in activism. It was inspiring to see how Wakayama used his skills as a photographer to document civil rights protests and the Powell street festival formation, proving that all it takes to fight for change in your community is willingness to do so. My favourite photo was the final one, showing three men of different backgrounds embracing and wearing matching expressions of joy and excitement at the Powell Street Festival. This photo illuminated the love Wakayama channeled into his work and how he focused on building solidarity. Wakayama’s work is a reminder to all that even though we may be from different communities, we can come together to work for collective liberation.

Enemy Alien: Tamio Wakayama is on display at the Vancouver Art Gallery from October 3, 2025 – February 22, 2026.

Photos by Devon Meadows

 

Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Positions – 2025W

The Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies Program (ACAM) is seeking applications from Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching Assistants from the Faculty of Arts to assist the following courses in 2025W Term 1 and Term 2.

 

ACAM_V 100-001 – Introduction to Asian Canadian Studies (Term 2, Tue/Thu, 9:30 am – 11:00 am) 

Qualifications: Must be a current undergraduate or graduate student in ACAM, English, History, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, or other relevant disciplines in the Faculty of Arts. Applicants must demonstrate a good understanding in socio-cultural issues pertaining to Asian Canadian communities. Good communications and organizational skills are an asset. 

Duties: The TA may be required, at a minimum, to attend classes, lead discussions, hold office hours, and manage course Canvas page. 

Hours of work: The workload is around 12 hours per week, and the total number should not exceed 192 hours. Please note that the hours may vary from week to week depending on how the course is structured. 

Salary (as of Sept 1, 2024) 

  • U.T.A. I – $26.40 per hour 
  • U.T.A. II – $24.44 per hour 
  • G.T.A. I – $40.16 per hour 
  • G.T.A. II – $38.65 per hour 

Application: A letter of application and a curriculum vitae (please include all contact information and year of study). 

 

ACAM_V 300-001- Dis/Orienting Asian Canada (Term 1, Tue/Thu, 9:30 am – 11:00 am) 

Qualifications: Must be a current undergraduate or graduate student in ACAM, History, English, Sociology, or other relevant disciplines in the Faculty of Arts. Applicants must demonstrate a good understanding in socio-cultural issues pertaining to Asian Canadian communities. Good communications and organizational skills are an asset. 

Duties: The TA may be required, at a minimum, to attend classes, lead discussions, hold office hours, and manage course Canvas page. 

Hours of work: The workload is around 12 hours per week, and the total number should not exceed 192 hours. Please note that the hours may vary from week to week depending on how the course is structured. 

Salary (as of Sept 1, 2024) 

  • U.T.A. I – $26.40 per hour 
  • U.T.A. II – $24.44 per hour 
  • G.T.A. I – $40.16 per hour 
  • G.T.A. II – $38.65 per hour 

Application: A letter of application and a curriculum vitae (please include all contact information and year of study). 

 

ACAM_V 330-001 – Understanding Asian Diasporic Health and Well-Being (Term 2, Mon/Wed, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm) 

Qualifications: Must be a current undergraduate or graduate student in ACAM, Psychology, Sociology, or other relevant disciplines in the Faculty of Arts. Applicants must demonstrate a good understanding in socio-cultural issues pertaining to Asian Canadian communities. Good communications and organizational skills are an asset. 

Duties: The TA may be required, at a minimum, to attend classes, lead discussions, hold office hours, and manage course Canvas page. 

Hours of work: The workload is around 12 hours per week, and the total number should not exceed 192 hours. Please note that the hours may vary from week to week depending on how the course is structured. 

Salary (as of Sept 1, 2024) 

  • U.T.A. I – $26.40 per hour 
  • U.T.A. II – $24.44 per hour 
  • G.T.A. I – $40.16 per hour 
  • G.T.A. II – $38.65 per hour 

Application: A letter of application and a curriculum vitae (please include all contact information and year of study). 

 

To apply for any of the above positions, please submit your application materials to acam.program@ubc.ca.  

Deadline for applications is August 31, 2025 (11:59 PM). 

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. 

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.  

Sessional Teaching for 2025W Term 2

Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies Program – Sessional Teaching for 2025W Term 2 (January 1 to April 30, 2026) 

Posted: July 31, 2025

The Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies Program (ACAM) is now accepting applications for a sessional position in 2025W Term 2 (4 instructional months; January 1 to April 30, 2026). The successful candidate will teach the following course:

ACAM_V 350 001 – Asian Canadian Community-Based Media 

Returning Applicants: Those who have taught in the ACAM program in the last five years can simply send an updated Curriculum Vitae.

New Applicants: Please submit the following items:

  • Brief cover letter outlining your experience for the position,
  • Curriculum Vitae, which includes a record of experience and a detailed list of all postsecondary courses taught (course name and number, length, credit value, dates, and teaching responsibilities),
  • A sample outline for this course (maximum 1 page),
  • Transcript of your academic record if you do not yet hold a PhD,
  • Names and contact emails of two references.

Please send your application package to acam.program@ubc.ca. The deadline for receipt of applications is August 31, 2025 (11:59 PM). 

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

All positions are subject to funding and enrolment numbers and are governed by the Collective Agreement between the University of British Columbia and The Faculty Association of the University of British Columbia.

Olivia Lim




ACAM Program Coordinator

Office: Room 1001, St. John’s College (2111 Lower Mall)
Email: acam.program@ubc.ca

Olivia Lim is the Program Coordinator for the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies Program (ACAM) at the University of British Columbia. She completed her B.A. in Honours English with a minor in Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies at UBC and her M.A. in English at UBC.