On January 25th, for a second consecutive year, we celebrated Family Literacy Day in partnership with The Fraser Valley Regional Library. Family Literacy Day is a national initiative to raise awareness of the importance of reading and engaging in other literacy-related activities as a family. This year’s theme was ‘Learn to be Green, Together!’ SASI’s community literacy table was located at The Reach Gallery Museum.
The SASI team participated with showcasing our 2022 book: A Social History of South Asians in British Columbia that threads South Asian Canadian stories from 1903 to the present. We also displayed, for active engagement, six archival photographs from the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive (SACDA). These photos are of events from South Asian Canadian history that highlight the diversity of experiences.
Interactive activities at the table included puzzle-making with archival photos from the SACDA collection, which was deeply enjoyed by children and adults alike. In keeping with the theme of learning to be green, another activity was ‘Draw your Family Tree,’ where children could connect-the-dots to make a tree and then add names and places of birth for themselves and their families. This encouraged children to ask their parents/relatives and learn about their ancestral backgrounds.
The Family Literacy event was well enjoyed, with almost 300 attendees. The SASI team was able to inform children and adults on projects and initiatives of the institute in a direct and important way!