Faculty of Art
Kaylan Mah is graduating with a BA in English Literature and a minor in History. She discovered the ACAM program in her second year, and is grateful for the safe, inclusive community it provided for her to dig deeper into the different ways that “Asian Canadianness” is lived out, and what it means for her to be a second/third-generation Chinese Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver. Many of the things Kaylan enjoys are related in some way to storytelling through creative mediums. Through her experiences with Power to Change UBC and the Centre for Community Engaged Learning, her care for people has also led to a strong drive for community-building and community engagement. She is grateful for all the diverse community members she has been able to dialogue with during her time at UBC, who have shaped the way she views the world around her.
Why did you declare a minor in ACAM? What drew you to the program?
I first discovered the ACAM minor through ACAM 250: Asian Canadians in Popular Culture. I remember being excited to find a course that connects to my identity as an Asian Canadian, and this class made me more aware of the importance of self-representation. I really appreciate how people-focused these classes are, both in the way that they encourage discussion and interaction between students, and how the course content often focuses on stories of real people, including cultural texts that go beyond just the theoretical. I’ve also found that there’s so much emphasis on creativity – we’re not just expected to regurgitate information we’ve learned, but we’re given a chance to express different forms of knowledge in ways that resonate with our own passions.
Whether it’s a class or event, the ACAM community is always such an open and welcoming environment. I’ve really valued meeting other passionate people who are so willing to connect and engage on different topics. I’ve also been able to invite other people into these spaces who also appreciate what ACAM has to offer!
Name an ACAM faculty whose class had a significant impact on you and share why.
I’ve had an interest in Canadian history ever since high school, but I couldn’t quite articulate the reason why learning about the past was interesting to me. Then I came to UBC and took two history classes and ACAM 300 with Dr. Laura Ishiguro, and she helped me understand that history is not every single thing that has happened in the past, but the stories we tell and choose to pass on about the past.
Dr. Ishiguro’s classes have meant a lot to me as someone who values storytelling, because they taught me 1) to be critically aware of how power structures are always present in the ways stories and histories are told, and 2) how to analyze historical sources or other forms of evidence to tell a story a certain way and inform the way we live our lives now. c
Not only have I learned a lot, but Dr. Ishiguro’s classes are always such a safe and positive learning environment. She learns everyone’s name on pretty much the first day and makes it clear that she values everyone’s contributions, and this contributes to such a vibrant and interactive space. I remember looking forward to ACAM 300 every week because not only were the readings and lectures interesting, but I knew we would be able to bring our own thoughts and reflections, and dialogue together about them. This class contributed a lot to my personal processing of what it means to be an Asian Canadian, and I was grateful to work on a project with personal significance to me!
https://theasianadian.wordpress.com/
Have you completed any projects through or related to an ACAM course?
One of the most meaningful projects I did during my undergrad was for ACAM 320J: Asian Canadian Research and Engagement Studio. My team of two other classmates (Victoria and Tsukuru) was partnered with Russell and Pearl from an organization called Chinatown Today. Through surveys and a roundtable discussion, we gathered feedback from students and created an engagement plan with strategies for improving the organization’s communications and outreach, with the goal of sustaining longer-term engagement in the community.
My experience collaborating on this project showed me that community-engaged research can be fun and meaningful! I appreciated how our course instructors, Dr. JP Catungal and christina lee, instilled from the beginning that these projects are meant to centre the community, and must be carried out ethically. They also supported us throughout the project, from the ideation process to the final analysis. I enjoyed the process of working with my groupmates, as our skillsets complemented each other and our different perspectives drew out distinct insights from the data we gathered. Our community partners provided a helpful balance of direction and flexibility, and had so much understanding for our capacity as students. Throughout the project we met weekly, and we constantly ensured that we were centring the needs and vision of the community, while they also ensured it was a project that was interesting to us!
One of the most rewarding aspects was hosting a roundtable discussion for our other ACAM course (ACAM 300 with Laura Ishiguro). It was heartwarming to see that our peers were happy to share their stories, both to help us and the wider community, and because they had a genuine interest in the topic. It really gave me a sense of community that went beyond just our studio class.
I was inspired by the work that Chinatown Today does, and I’m incredibly proud of the project that came together!
