Robson Square
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Hearts of Freedom Exhibition: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees
May 13 – May 31, 2023
at UBC Robson Square (map)
About the Exhibit
The national traveling exhibition entitled Hearts of Freedom: Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees will be arriving at UBC Robson Square from May 13th to May 31st. This traveling exhibit is brought to BC by the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre – Museum of Migration Society (PCHC-MoM) and is an extension of a national research project that has documented an oral history of Southeast Asian refugees from 1975 to 1985 – the longest and largest migration and settlement of non-European refugees in Canada, and the stories of people who assisted them.
Statistics are cold and sterile, but storytelling is not. By sharing the stories of these Southeast Asian refugees, and the stories of Canadians who assisted them, PCHC-MoM wants to demonstrate that behind the statistics are the human stories of ordinary people engaged in extraordinary acts of kindness and ingenious problem-solving to overcome unprecedented challenges.
Exhibition Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday – Sunday: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
*Please note Robson Square will be closed on Saturday, May 20th and Monday, May 22nd.
Passage of Freedom Film Screening
The arrival of this exhibition will be celebrated with a special screening of Passage of Freedom on May 13th. Passage of Freedom is a poignant documentary that recounts the firsthand accounts of Southeast Asian refugees who embarked on perilous voyages from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to Canada. This free screening will be followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. Be sure to RSVP for this event here.
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