SELL-OUT: Exploring the Commodification of Asian Cultures through Storytelling

This workshop will consist of an exploration of the ways in which culture is commodified within a Chinese, Indian and Tibetan context. Facilitators will touch upon and offer structure on the following themes: the commodification and appropriation of certain Asian cultures, the negative impacts of this commodification on local communities as well as the legacies and effects of colonization, globalization and neoliberal capitalism. This will be followed by an open discussion with guiding questions!

The goal of the event will be to facilitate a safe space for attendees to share their experiences and to visualize as a group sustainable futures for cultural preservation and appreciation, in an era of rapid globalization. The first half of the workshop will consist of a short presentation while the second half will take the form of a guided group discussion. Attendees are encouraged to share their thoughts and ways in which commodification has impacted their respective cultures and communities!

About the Pan-Asian Collective (PAC):

Dorothy, Sarah, and Tara are members of the Pan-Asian Collective. PAC aims to increase meaningful engagement in Asian history and culture in a way that recognizes the diversity of the Asian experiences. We want to empower and grow the Asian community in Montreal ~and beyond~ and build a network of support, learning, and friendship. PAC is based in Tiohtiá:ke, colonially known as Montreal. We acknowledge that this island is located on unceded and unsurrendered Indigenous land of the Kanien’kehá:ka, the Nation recognized as the custodians of the land and water on which we gather today.

Dorothy Yip (they/them) is a McGill student hailing from Hong Kong. She is a new member to Pan-Asian collective Montreal.

Sarah Dhanani (she/her) is a McGill School of Environment alum who is working in Montreal as an environmental professional at Bombardier. She is currently chasing after different artistic endeavours in her free time and enjoys chatting about the intersection between environment and race.

Tara Chökyi Langri (she/her) is a McGill student majoring in sociology and double-minoring in politics and religion. She is currently a member of McGill Students for a Free Tibet and of the Pan-Asian Collective Montreal. She is additionally a member of the Chyssem Project which is a grassroots community effort to create a permanent archival record about the first Tibetans who arrived in Canada in the early 1970s.

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Live closed captioning in English will be available on Zoom for this event.

Whisper translation from English to French will be available for all events with 24 hours notice unless already provided; please email info@qpirgmcgill.org to request. // La traduction chuchotée de l’anglais vers le français sera disponible sur demande avec 24 heurs de pré-avis; envoyez un courriel à info@qpirgmcgill.org.