The JIA Foundation is a non-profit organization in Québec with a mandate to protect and promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Montréal’s Chinatown.
About the JIA Foundation
Mission
The JIA Foundation fosters Chinatown’s cultural heritage through education, space activation and community-driven approaches to real estate.
Vision
We envision a Montréal Chinatown where the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Asian diaspora is conserved and enabled to thrive.
Values
JIA commits to do its work within these guiding principles and values:
Anti-colonial practices anchored in the history of Chinatown as space of sanctuary and belonging for marginalized groups
Community collaboration and commitment to grassroots and democratic participation
Prioritizing equitable development solutions and community-minded stewardship and ownership
What is JIA?
家
Jia is a word in Mandarin that has layers of meaning: family and home. Jia-ren means “members of family” and hui-jia means “to return home”. Like chez-soi, home is more than housing, jia is more than a home. Jia offers the sense of refuge, security and belonging, and jia is where the roots are and where we return to.
Why now?
Chinatown is a place that has offered generations of people a sense of home when they were excluded or marginalized by society at large. Chinatown is a place filled with stories of struggle and resistance that are ingrained in its buildings and development patterns. Chinatown is a place that symbolizes connection, resilience and a sense of community. Essentially, Chinatown is Jia. That is why a group of us are setting up the Jia Foundation to protect and grow Montreal’s Chinatown’s cultural heritage with a focus on storytelling and placemaking. We want to make sure the Chinatown that has witnessed our collective past, can help weave together our often untold and disjointed histories, and provide an opportunity to demonstrate what an inclusive, equitable and sustainable community can be.
JIA FOUNDATION ANNUAL REPORTS
