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UBC students getting ready to vote

A few months back we had the pleasure of hosting students from the Coordinated Arts Program Law and Society stream for a tour of the Chung Collection and an introduction to researching with primary sources. As we were discussing the civil rights of Chinese Canadians (and how the right to vote was taken away from Chinese Canadians in 1872) it struck me- these students being mostly 18 or 19 years old now were not old enough to vote in any past provincial and federal elections. The right to vote suddenly became even more important to emphasize (and as their professor told them, “political apathy is not allowed in this class!”).

UBC students are taking their right to vote to heart and the proof is in a Youtube video of a “vote mob” held on campus. Vote mobs are being held on campuses across the country after comedian Rick Mercer encouraged Canada’s youth to shock the political parties by actually showing up and casting their ballots.

Chinese Canadians finally won back the right to vote in this country in 1947. Learn more in the Chung Collection by searching under the subject heading Chinese–Civil rights or using keywords such as “vote” or “voting”.