Jayden Vancouver, British Columbia

Fair address: Vancouver Heritage Fair

Project: The People Of Early Vancouver Chinatown

My project is about how Vancouver Chinatown was created and what the Chinese people living in Vancouver in the late 1800s and early 1900s faced when they lived and worked there.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

I learned that it took a lot of work and that there were a lot of hardships when the Chinese people built Vancouver Chinatown. Even though they were faced with discrimination, they persevered and built Vancouver Chinatown.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

I learned that all people are the same and that we should treat everyone the same. I also learned to never give up on a mission even though it is hard work, or we may get lots of pressure to give up.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Their life was very different. There was lots of racism and discrimination. Everyone was treated differently and Chinese people were considered "strange and different". Today, we are lucky that we are in the age where there is not as much discrimination. But, there racism still exists.