She arrived in Winnipeg in August 2018 and began her post-secondary studies at the International College of Manitoba (ICM) before transferring to the University of Manitoba. Adjusting to life in a new country brought some surprises. “Growing up in a conservative country, it was surprising to see things like marijuana being legal or alcohol being allowed on campus,” Rihanah recalls.  

Even the everyday routines felt unfamiliar. Cooking meals from home often meant making trips to several stores for ingredients. Cultural norms around food, religion, and even parenting felt drastically different. “Back home, eating with utensils was considered fancy. Most people just ate with their hands,” she says. She also noted that being Muslim felt different here too. They way Islam is practiced and perceived in Canada doesn’t always match what she grew up with. 

Raihanah has lived in the St John’s College Residence for seven years and describes it as a key part of adjusting well in Canada. “Even though I’m living away from my parents, I don’t feel like a stranger here. The community is small, so you’re likely to walk past the same people often and make new friends.” 

Shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Raihanah had to confront another reality of being Asian in Canada; discrimination. The rise in anti-Asian hate was unsettling. “I’d get long stares when people would walk past me, assuming I was Chinese,” she says. Strangers would ask offensive or ignorant questions like, “Do Chinese people really eat cats?” or “You’re Muslim, so where’s your hijab?” While initially uncomfortable, Raihanah now tries to ease the tension by responding with humor. 

When she’s missing home, attending events hosted by the now-combined Singaporean and Malaysian Student Association helps her feel at home and reconnected with her culture. 

To Raihanah, Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity within Asian communities. “Not all Asian cultures are the same,” she emphasizes. It was important to Raihanah that the different traditions and values were recognized as separate.  

Her advice for newcomers? Don’t isolate yourself. “Go out and make new friends. Even if you’re shy, show up to events, hang out in the dining hall, and eventually someone will come to talk to you. Staying home just makes you more homesick.” 

Like many newcomers to Canada, Rihanah’s adjustment wasn’t always easy. Many deal with the discomfort of culture shock, discrimination and hardship; however, many also find community. Sometimes it’s through communities that share your culture, and other times through those that simply offer support and care. At St John’s College, we strive to offer both. With our diverse community of residents, faculty and staff, we hope you’ll find your home away from home.

This year, we talked with Riya Timpog, our wonderful co-op coordinator for Life Sciences programs at the Faculty of Science. Timpog comes from a background in the arts and psychology with expertise and experience in career development and community building. She is a proud Filipino Canadian who implements the concept of “bayanihan” into her work with the students.

Co-op Works! event, November 2024, from top left, Ivy Mannil (Computational Sciences Co-op Coordinator), followed by senior Co-op student presenters: Gulnaaz, Dadiso, Owen; bottom left to right: Riya Timpog, Louis, Miao Yi, Eldrec; virtual presenters Randi and Vincent.

“One thing that I also hold really dearly as a Filipino Canadian and that I try to incorporate in my position here in the Faculty of Science in an academic Canadian environment, are the values of hard work, resilience, positivity, and the concept of “bayanihan”, which is the spirit of community, belonging to a community, helping one another without expecting anything in return”, says Timpog.

Summer 2024 site visit at the St Boniface General Hospital with Witta (Genetics student, far left), Princess (Co-op alum and current employee, 2nd from right), and Dr. Wenjing He (Co-op supervisor, far right)

Timpog tells us that she sees her position in the Faculty of Science as an opportunity to represent her community in academia and the fields of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) and show that Filipino Canadians belong in various capacities in science and make meaningful contributions in different ways.

Watch the full interview on the Faculty of Science’s YouTube channel to be inspired by Timpog and her work at the University of Manitoba.

“If you just look a bit further, think a bit further, there is interesting stuff beneath the surface,” says Xinli Wang (Chinese Singaporean), an instructor at the department of mathematics, while she enthusiastically tells us how her curiosity got her interested in science. Join us, watch the interview and be inspired as we talk with Wang and other members of our community, celebrating the Asian Heritage Month.

Arsenio [B.Sc./04, PhD/11], a UM Canada Research Chair in systems biology and chronic inflammation and assistant professor of internal medicine and immunology in the Max Rady College of Medicine, and her team recently discovered that immune T-cells in males and females respond differently to chronic infection at an earlier stage of the disease.

“There is an assumption that male and female T-cells, in this context, may behave the same, but we’re finding that they are different,” said Arsenio, also a researcher with Manitoba Centre for Proteomics and Systems Biology.

 “Not only are they different at the response level, but also at the transcriptional level. So, when we look at the molecular programming it’s different between males and females.”

The results of this study will help researchers better understand how to treat and prevent diseases in the future, said Arsenio, who is vice-chair of Women In Science: Development, Outreach and Mentorship (WISDOM).

“We know there are sex biases in response outcomes, and females particularly are understudied in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, so it really brings attention to the fact that there are fundamental differences between the sexes,” Arsenio said.

Understanding sex-related differences is an emerging theme across various disciplines, Arsenio said, because it’s understudied. While her work primarily focuses on chronic viral infection, she is currently working on studies looking at sex-related differences in inflammatory diseases.

“I think our work of trying to understand these differences challenges the way studies have been done,” she said.

This innovative work all started because the environment at UM fostered her spark for science and her development as a trainee during her bachelor of science and PhD, Arsenio said. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California San Diego before returning to UM as an assistant professor in 2017.

Arsenio said it’s an honour to be back at UM as a faculty member because she can now do her part to mentor trainees and help spark their interest in research as well.

“Growing up, I never knew any scientists and through my undergrad and PhD there really was no one else who looked like me,” said Arsenio, whose parents immigrated to Canada from the Philippines. “Now that I’m in my position, I recognize the value of really supporting others who may be able to identify with me.”

The civil engineer worked as part of a diverse workforce at Manitoba Hydro, which took him to different locations all over Manitoba throughout his career.

Kevin found this fulfilling work at Manitoba Hydro to be positive yet challenging, as he was a minority in the work he did. 

“Being a visible minority in the workplace was uncommon in those days. I was lucky to work at Manitoba Hydro, but I had to work much harder to prove I was equal, if not better, than the others.”

Prior to working at Hydro, Kevin moved to Canada from Hong Kong, where he stayed at St John’s Residence from 1974 to 1978 where he referred to it as, one big family. 

“I never felt out of place; I always felt at home living in the residence. There were lots of fun things to do, events to attend, and diverse places to be; it was easy not to feel out of place.”

While having this one big family on campus throughout his five years, Kevin points to the lessons he’s learned at St John’s College that have helped him shape into the person he is today. Whether it be making connections with new students, taking on new responsibilities, or building the foundational skills he has used throughout this life, he expresses gratitude for the lessons he’s learned and the friends he continues to stay connected with today. 

Kevin concludes his twenty-eight years of service as an engineer by continuing his work in volunteerism as the Chair of the Volunteer Education Committee at the Manitoba Electrical Museum and Education Centre.

Iwasaki first came to Canada to study from a small town in northern Japan 20 years ago. Since graduating from UM’s fine art bachelor honours program in 2006, he’s become well-known for his playful, vibrant artworks, including paintings and embroidered pieces. Now he’s back at the School of Art to complete a master’s degree with a focus on ceramics, translating his quirky lines into mischievously elegant 3-D ceramics and wood shapes.

He likes making objects that are “usable, touchable, which engage physically and emotionally to some level,” he says.

Being confronted by increasing turmoil and inundated with online “perceived interconnectedness,” as he puts it, can result in apathy, anger or fear rather than empathy, care and action.

“I think it’s easier for us to have some sort of apathy because [often what we see of world events] looks like theatrical display of some actual events, like I’m watching TV, like how is it different from action movies or videos,” he says. “There’s lots of killing, and in real life. Oh, it looks like something happening, but it’s on the screen for me. I’m not there.”

It’s why his idea of art is to evoke some sense of pleasure, joy, contentment and positive feeling as an alternative.

He explains, “I don’t do specific political work of any kind, but I think in some way I can make [the art] sort of not to forget other senses.” Not expressing his political view through his work itself is a political stance by choice — a seemingly paradoxical statement, but intentional, he says.

Iwasaki’s generous and understated yet nonetheless meticulous approach to art reflects this combination of thoughtfulness and playfulness. He is quite philosophical, and this approach suffuses his life and work.

“Because I acknowledge that life could be short…. I think there’s always death,” he says. “So what I think is, ‘Oh, life could be so short, why wouldn’t I enjoy this moment that I can share with other people, with friends?’ That fulfills my feeling and keeps me busy and hoping that will be conducive in some way to my viewers.”

Duality and being intercultural

He reflects that he likes what being Japanese and Canadian brings him. It’s a kind of “duality in the day-to-day,” he explains. In Japanese culture, he says, “it’s thought to be graceful to hide and you don’t want to be too emotional or expressive … and it’s more of a collective mentality. Whereas in North America the population in general is more, I think, focused on individuality and individual expression.”

Both approaches have certain advantages and disadvantages, allowing him to switch between them. He says, “I can pick and choose, and from time to time in this situation maybe focusing on group mentality works better, but if I don’t say certain things, I won’t be heard.”

The meaning of Asian heritage … now and 10 generations from now

What does Asian heritage Month mean to him? He says gaining knowledge about other cultures and getting to know people at an individual level can help with understanding and overcoming stereotypes — and alleviate fear of difference.

“I think that’s the most important thing,” he says. “By knowing what they are like, and also alternately finding that they’re not very different [from themselves]. Knowing people at the individual level, most people think, ‘oh, they’re nice.’ Try not to have more fears when you can conquer that with knowledge, appropriate knowledge, not skewed knowledge.”

The meaning of Asian heritage, he adds, has expanded for him since he and his wife got together and had children. Shih-Han Iwasaki, who’s from Taiwan, is currently pursuing her MBA at UM. They want to pass on their heritage to their two children, aged nine and nearly six, which is why they speak Japanese and Mandarin (along with English and French).

His wife says enjoying food together from their own and other cultures is also important in their lives. For them, food is a way of enjoying and culturally enriching life, in appreciating different cultural foods.

Takashi laughs, “When we look at our kids, I think their palette is a little wider.”

On the other hand, he says, “I think in 10 generations from now, especially in Canada, we might not know what heritage we have, which is a kind of soothing or, you know, relieving thing to think about…. That’s my dream. We are all earthlings.”

Meaningful experiences, connecting and sharing positive values

What was the best part of his UM experience this time around? Without a doubt, the community and being part of a cohort of like-minded people, he says.

He attempts to create meaningful friendship or relationship with other people, “nurturing curiosity, being open-minded, being content with my own work and in the process of creating it,” he says.

“My artworks bring that kind of joy to me,” he adds, “and they are also tools for me to connect with others in sharing certain positive values in our lives. Of course, there is more to it in doing what I do, but that’s a significant part of what I do and try keep doing.

“It’s my life-long pursuit.”

MFA Thesis exhibition

May 17 – June 21, 2024

Opening reception (open and free to public, no reservations required)

Friday, May 17 
5-8 p.m.

School of Art Gallery
255 ARTlab, 180 Dafoe Road, 
University of Manitoba 

Nguyen-Lu, 34, was born and raised in Winnipeg.  Her parents moved to Manitoba as refugees from the Vietnam War in the 1980s. She has always been interested in health care as a way to give back to the community.

She started the master’s program in 2020 and bridged into the PhD in nursing program the following year.

UM Today spoke with Nguyen-Lu about her research and passion for helping Manitoba’s future nurses.

What got you interested in nursing?

My parents divorced when I was young, so I grew up in a single-parent household with my dad moulding me into the person I am today. When he was escaping from Vietnam on a small boat, he made a promise to himself that if he survived this journey and made it to a new country where he could settle, he would make a new life for himself but also never forget where he came from. In addition to supporting his family back home, he also gives back to our local community through food donations and other acts of kindness. For me, being a nurse allows me to give back to my community in the best way possible. 

Trinh Nguyen-Lu

Can you describe your research and why you see it as important?

I will be looking at new nursing grads in Manitoba, and that period when they’re entering the workforce. We all know that health care can be a stressful environment to work in. People talk about resilience, but I think you also need a good set of coping strategies to be able to thrive in that environment.

I became interested in research when I started working as a clinical instructor at UM, educating a new group of students about what it means to be a nurse. I saw so many students come through that were really strong, but then all of a sudden they struggled in a testing situation. I saw a lot of students fail because they were overwhelmed. And it’s not that they don’t have the knowledge, because I know they do. I’ve seen them practice, they have the skills and have been engaged the entire time.

How did your clinical work inspire your research?

I saw a lot of my co-workers, especially during the pandemic, leave the bedside early in their careers. Not everyone will leave the profession completely, but some will just because they’ve had enough. I’m hoping that through my study, I’ll be able to support the new grads a bit better so they can thrive in the environment, so they can manage and stay working as a nurse. There’s always going to be sick people who need care, so we need people working at the bedside. 

I was working at the ICU around the time I came back to do my master’s. Seeing the new grads that came in to help lighten our loads really inspired me. I was able to teach these new grads the basics of caring for Manitoba’s critically ill. I realized new grads have the foundational knowledge to be a nurse, and with the proper supervision and support, it would be possible to teach them how to care for a critically ill patient.

What else motivates you to do this work?

I think it’s knowing that, down the line, I will be able to make a difference. I enjoy nursing. I enjoy teaching. I want the next generation of nurses to be as good as the previous ones, but right now, they need a little more support when they get out into the real world. The COVID-19 pandemic really changed their educational experience and the clinical setting.

I’m also hoping that whatever I discover specific to nurses can be adapted to other health professions as well, because we are never working by ourselves.

What are your future plans?

I would love to apply to be a professor at the College of Nurisng. I’d love to improve the undergrad program as much as we can so our new grads are thriving out there. We have no intention of leaving Manitoba and I want to see people get the best possible care here.

This Q&A is part of a series on UM Today featuring Rady Faculty of Health Sciences graduate students. You can find more grad student profiles here: #Radygradstudents.

The fourth year Faculty of Arts student says she loves to go to events held by different Filipino organizations, “trying out food that I grew up eating with my family and relatives back home.”

Born in Manila, Philippines, De Castro immigrated to Canada with her mother and father and younger sister Audrey in 2019. They are planning to apply for citizenship in the next few months, which is very exciting, says De Castro. In fact, it was always her parents’ dream.

Allisther De Castro with her family.

“I’m really grateful for people helping our family immigrate to Canada because my parents have been wanting to immigrate to a different country with more opportunities for my sister and I,” she explains. “It was a very significant milestone.”

Asian Heritage Month holds a deep personal significance for her. “This month is a celebration of diversity, belonging and the shared journey of immigrants like myself towards building a more vibrant and inclusive Canada,” she says.

See more about Asian Heritage Month at UM.

Last year, Allisther wanted to build on her own experience and was moved to advocate for others as well. She worked to create a new UMSU community position, the Racialized Students’ Representative (which she held this year), and helped found the Racial Equity and Inclusion Alliance (REIA), a student-led community group for racialized students at UM.

On Mar. 31, REIA hosted its first Empowerment Gala to recognize the diverse cultures at UM. The gala awarded racialized students and staff based on accomplishments in athletics and sportsmanship, academics, visual and performing arts, and advocacy and representation. 

De Castro is graduating from the Faculty of Arts with a major in political studies major and a minor in business management.

Her experience at UM influenced her goals and how she imagines her future — and how her future might help to change the world. Her goal is to get into law school and possibly do a master’s degree in international relations as well.

It’s been inspiring to learn about politics and diplomacy both in the classroom and through her advocacy work as a student rep.

“What really captivated me was [learning] to understand the world around me and why it is the way it is,” De Castro notes. And she’s also helping to make it better.
 

In her own words: Allisther De Castro on openness to learning, challenging stereotypes, addressing discrimination

As a student, I would urge the wider university community to approach Asian Heritage Month with an open mind and a willingness to learn and engage.

There’s just so many things that I’ve experienced and my friends who are also Asians have experienced that were disappointing and frustrating since it’s targeted to us as Asians.  

So Asian Heritage Month is not just about celebration, but it’s also about addressing issues of discrimination, xenophobia and racism that we continue to face.

It’s important to recognize that there are different stereotypes and misconceptions about Asians and Asian Canadians that still exist.  

So for this month we should use it as a chance to challenge these stereotypes and educate ourselves and others about the complexity and richness of Asian identities. And lastly, it is important to amplify different voices and create spaces for meaningful dialogue and exchange within a university.

See more about Asian Heritage Month at UM.

Asian Heritage Month is celebrated at UM with stories and events that highlight members of various Asian communities, along with the research, teaching and advocacy work they do.

 “Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to increase understanding and appreciation of the diversity and richness of Asian cultures, communities and individuals, and to recognize the impactful work and accomplishments of so many at UM,” says Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity) and Distinguished Professor of Chinese History.

“Asian Heritage builds solidarities amongst different Asian communities as we continue our work to dismantle oppression and eliminate anti-Asian racism, and all racisms, on our campuses. At UM, we commit to carrying forward the work from the National Forums on Anti-Asian Racism.”

UM research, teaching and community engagement advances critical understanding of the lives and cultures of Asians in Canada and globally. During her time as director of the UM Institute for the Humanities from 2018 to 2024, professor of English, theatre, film & media Hee-jung Serenity Joo has created models that centre community knowledges and creative projects in post-secondary learning, research and action for anti-racism. Another example is the interdisciplinary project Dried Fish Matters (anthropology), which focusses on a fisheries sub-sector particularly important in Asia and Africa, where women comprise a significant portion of this workforce. Asian Studies courses in the Faculty of Arts further provide opportunities to learn Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages and to study the cultures, politics, and histories of Asian nations, people, and diaspora.

Read on for stories, resources and upcoming events that are open to all.

Celebrating our unique stories

Watch for related content on UM platforms through May in celebration of Asian Heritage Month.

The Racial Equity and Inclusion Alliance (REIA) is a student-led community group founded last year by fourth year Faculty of Arts student Allisther De Castro. She is proud of her Filipino heritage and eager to promote multiculturalism and inclusion within the university. (Learn more about Allisther’s story!)

This year REIA hosted its first Empowerment Gala to recognize the diverse cultures at UM. The gala, which took place Sunday, Mar. 31, awarded racialized students and staff based on accomplishments in athletics and sportsmanship, academics, visual and performing arts, and advocacy and representation. 

As a first-generation academic and former international student in Canada, assistant professor of pharmacy Abdullah Al Maruf supports justice, equity, diversity and inclusiveness in his personal and professional life. He co-founded a research network to connect scientists interested in pharmacogenomics research in Bangladesh (BdPGRN) and also founded Prospective Bangladeshi Students in Canadian Universities, a not-for-profit, virtual peer-to-peer support and discussion platform. 

Wayne Chan [BSc/93, BA/00], who works as a data analyst at UM, is also a bit of a history detective — his passion for tracking down stories and tracing unknown histories has led to gems like Winnipeg’s forgotten song and Lost campus, a Google Earth tour that recreates historical UM spaces. His latest, about decoding cryptograms in an antique silk dress (CBC), came from his hobby in cryptography and codebreaking and made world-wide news.

Dr. Gigi Osler [BSc/92, MD/92] is a UM assistant professor of medicine who in 2018 became the first female surgeon and racialized woman elected as president of the Canadian Medical Association. Born in Winnipeg to immigrant parents from India and the Philippines, she was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2022. “We have to be advocates for justice, racial justice, equity and social change,” she says.

Associate Vice-President (Administration) Raman Dhaliwal [B.Comm/07] is the first racially marginalized woman to hold the position and was recognized as one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2022. “Most of the time when I’m at different meetings, there aren’t a lot of people my age, my colour and even my gender sitting around the table with me,” she notes. Dhaliwal counts her parents, who left their homes in India to start a new life in Canada, as her biggest inspiration.

You may be familiar with the colourful artwork of acclaimed Winnipeg artist Takashi Iwasaki [BFA(Hons)/06] — including UM tunnel murals) — he and his wife Shih-Han Iwasaki are currently pursuing graduate degrees at UM. Iwasaki, who is back doing his MFA, grew up in northern Japan and arrived here at age 20, while Shih-Han, who is pursuing her master’s degree at Asper, is from Taiwan. Their two children speak both Japanese and Mandarin, along with English. (Watch for Takashi’s story later this month!)

Community events and resources

Join the learning journey on advancing equity, diversity, accessibility and anti-oppression at UM.

Support the work being done by the Office of Equity Transformation, UM’s Anti-Racism Taskforce and the Office of Anti-Racism (Rady Faculty of Health Sciences).

Check out the many ethnocultural student groups on campus.

Events

Stop by Taste of Asia – Asian Pop Fest! CN Stage at the Forks, May 25 and 26, 2-7 PM daily. Food, music, dance, art, fashion and more! Organized by Foodtrip and Asian Heritage Society MB.

Enjoy special screenings at the FascinAsian Film Festival, coming to Winnipeg May 24 to 26. Celebrating Asian perspectives, culture and integrity in film and media.

Check out additional local events throughout the month listed at Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba.

Watch CanAsian Arts On the Move: An online tour of Canada through its Asian artists in one evening! May 29, 8 P.M.

Upcoming: National Asian Heritage Symposium in Winnipeg. Nov. 6 to 9, 2024.

Resources

See “A Brief History of Asian Canadians,” “Asians in Early Canada,” and “Demographics of Asian Canadians in Manitoba” (Asian Heritage Society of Manitoba).

Winnipeg Public Library Guides: Asian Heritage. Deepen your learning about Asian history and heritage, with information that focuses on Manitoba and Canada. Resources including historical events and timelines, book recommendations!

Visit the Virtual Museum of Asian Canadian Culture and Heritage.