By Sid Tan, W2TV, Jan. 25 2011

[Click here to see the video]

From the “my art is activism and my trade is organising” department, here’s a video of some magnificent grannies and grandpas gathered in Vancouver’s Chinatown. It was feisty seniors seeking redress almost three decades ago who inspired me to join them. Now I’m a grandpa and almost a senior and an inclusive just and honourable redress is still incomplete.

Recorded at the fourth Annual General Meeting of Head Tax Families Society of Canada held January 16, 2011 in the Downtown Eastside – the Quon Lung Sai Tong* building in the 100 block East Hastings.

For more about HTFSC mandate and mission, go to www.headtaxfamilies.ca and production opportunities email w2tv@creativetechnology.org (be patient).

Quon Lung Sai Tong is a clan association with surname spelled Quon. Quan, Kwan, Gwan, Guan and the like. Kwan Ti is the most storied of the surname. “Kung” means uncle,

Shrines to Kwan Kung are all over Chinatown. There’s alot about him online but here’s my take. He was the spiritual sustenance of the Chinese pioneers and adventurers.

Kwan Kung, along with two sworn brothers Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, are the heroes in the epic tale “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”

Kwan Kung was a military leader renowned for his courage, righteousness, loyalty, compassion and adherence to high ideals. He was even known to sacrifice his personal success when it required him to compromise his principles.

These qualities are the reasons he is venerated after his death and became a spiritual protector of the early Chinese immigrants who came to Canada.

The Video:

Head Tax Families Blues written and performed by Sean Gunn. It was taped on site as Sean did warm-up for the major event – the AGM!

Audio-visual recording by Elwin Xie and Sid Tan on Zoom Q3. Edited and voiced-over by Sid Tan with AVS Editor on HP dv6622ca laptop, also used to upload.

Special thanks to Head Tax Families Society, Saltwater City Television Collective, Nugget Peak Railway Collective, Chinese Canadian National Council, ACCESS-TV (Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society) and W2 Community Media Arts Society.

Don’t be only actors and subjects for the media – be and produce the media!

A Tan and Son of a Gunn Mini-Picture Show 2011