Shades of Brown: defying racial categories

Who is “brown” in Vancouver? Who decides?

Over time, “brown” has been used to categorize different groups of people, including people from different cultural communities and people with mixed heritage. Race and its categorizations are constructs that affect people’s lives in real and material ways. Yet who fits into which racial category, especially where “brown” is concerned, is never clear—and it shifts over time. In its ambiguity, brown presents the flaws of categorization and in doing so, the anti-racist possibilities that exist beyond it.

This July, the Museum of Vancouver welcomes Chris Patterson to present his academic and creative work on brown histories, politics and identity-making. Following Chris’ presentation, three fellow storytellers—Anne Claire Baguio, Sharanjit Kaur and Hari Alluri—who are defying racist and colonial systems in their own creative community-based work, will join him in conversation. At this event, we warmly invite you to listen, learn and reflect with community.

This event is in partnership with UBC’s Centre for Asian Canadian Research and Engagement (ACRE) and is the launch of their Browning Asian Canadian Series.

Date: Thursday, July 4
Time 6:30-8:30pm

Event Schedule:

6:30pm: Event begins; Chris’ Presentation
7:00pm: Respondents/Panel Discussion
7:45pm: Break
8:00pm: Q&A with Audience
8:30pm: Event Ends

Host or Publisher Museum of Vancouver