From Sept. 13 to Oct. 14, the Osgoode Hall Law School Library will host the Hearts of Freedom – Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees, a touring exhibition that highlights the remarkable journeys of refugees from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. The exhibition features stories of the courageous individuals who were driven from their homelands by the Cambodian Genocide, the Lao Secret War, and the Vietnam War.
The exhibition tour has been hosted at a variety of venues across Canada, including museums, public libraries, universities, and the Canadian Senate. Deemed a success, the tour has garnered a positive response from audiences all over the nation and has received support from Southeast Asian communities, non-profit organizations, and various sponsors.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the exhibition will hold its official opening. At 1 p.m. the event will feature a screening of the documentary film “Passage to Freedom,” which showcases archival news clips, wartime footage, and “interviews with former refugees and Canadian immigration officials.” The exhibit and film screening are free of charge to all members of the public.
Creator and Curator, Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe, brings to the Hearts of Freedom project her research and expertise in forced migration and refugees, along with her personal experience as “a former refugee from Laos.” Here, she collaborates with numerous researchers, among whom is Michael James Molloy, a retired career foreign service officer and current adjunct research professor of history at Carleton University. Together, they hope the exhibit will continue to inspire and help people to connect with the stories of Southeast Asian refugees, as they pertain to Canada’s history of immigration.
“The stories from the refugees who resettled in Canada between 1975 and 1985 were very moving and inspirational. They exude strength, courage, and resilience in escaping the violence and persecution to find a new home in Canada,” explains Stobbe.
“We hope the visitors will find engaging photos with stories and interesting information that highlight the important immigration policies and programs, and the contributions of this first generation and their descendants,” she adds.
“Between 1975 and 1997, 210,000 refugees and family members arrived in Canada from Southeast Asia,” explains Molloy. “It remains the largest refugee resettlement operation in our history, but it had received little academic attention after the first decade, and none on a national scale drawing on the actual experiences of the refugees themselves.
“We hope that those who attend this event will gain an appreciation for the suffering and the courage of these people and how they rebuilt their lives and came to regard themselves as Canadians.”
In mid-October, the tour heads to the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, with a book written by the Hearts of Freedom researchers set to be published next year. For more information about the Hearts of Freedom project, click here.
