Hearts of Freedom (HOF) is hosted in the School of Social Work at Carleton University. The five principal researchers are Colleen Lundy and Allan Moscovitch, both Emeritus Professors at Carleton University, Peter Duschinsky and Michael Molloy from the Canadian Immigration Historical Society, and Stephanie Stobbe, Associate Professor at the Winnipeg based Menno Simons College, a college of Canadian Mennonite University. The primary purpose of this multi -year project is to collect and preserve the personal histories of refugees from Southeast Asia (former Indochina) – Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia – who came to Canada between 1975 and 1985 and the Canadians who assisted them. More specifically, these video-recorded oral history interviews document the conditions that prompted the exodus, the migration journey to and arrival in Canada, the resettlement and settlement experience, and lessons learned from this historic movement. All interviews and other materials are on a website for the project which can be found at https://heartsoffreedom.org/.
The project benefits from the partnership and active involvement of the local and national Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao Associations, the Canadian Immigration Historical Society, and guidance by museum advisors at the Canadian Museum of History, and Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.
Along with preserving the experiences of members of these three communities, the purpose of the project is to inform academics, historians, policy makers, settlement practitioners, and the general public. The outcomes of the project are a website https://heartsoffreedom.org/, a film documentary which has been completed and is available at https://www.mcintyre.ca/advanced-search?clear&searchterm=Passage%20to%20Freedom, a book which has been drafted and is with the publisher, and educational materials for universities and high schools, all in English and French. All the interviews and materials are currently housed in the archives at Carleton University.
The end of the Vietnam War and the subsequent exodus of civilians from Southeast Asia resulted in a refugee crisis as people fled by boat or travelled by foot over the mountains. Many perished in the small, overcrowded boats that were not seaworthy. Those who survived the journey ended up in refugee camps, mainly in Thailand and Malaysia, before acceptance for resettlement in Western countries.
Private sponsorship of refugees by non-profit organizations or groups of five or more adults was introduced in Canada through legislative changes to the Immigration Act in 1976 that became a key part of the transfer of these refugees to Canada. Canadians from all walks of life and in all parts of the country sponsored, welcomed, and assisted refugees in adapting to a new life in this country. This was recognized in 1986 when the UN High Commissioner for Refugees awarded the prestigious Nansen Medal to the “people of Canada,” a unique and singular honour.
An important goal of the Hearts of Freedom Project is to create an awareness of Canada’s historical role in successful refugee settlement by recording, analyzing, and then presenting the Southeast Asia refugee experience throughout the country. In addition to the original four outcomes, a travelling museum exhibition was curated by Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe, one of our researchers.
A HOF Museum Exhibit Committee led by Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe working with advisors from Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and Canadian Museum of History, and other volunteers has designed three English and three French pop-up panels that tell the stories of Southeast Asian refugees. The panels have QR codes, directing visitors to the HOF Digital Exhibit on the project’s website. The Digital Exhibit and website provide photos, displays, and detailed descriptions of the refugee history and experience; and allow participants to follow and navigate through specific stories and events.
The Travelling Exhibition invites Southeast Asian communities, NGOs, governments, and others interested in refugee issues to come and celebrate the successful resettlement of refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and their contributions to Canada. It was first presented at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa in January 2023. Since then, it has been hosted for extended periods of time in Vancouver, Surrey, Victoria, Halifax, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, and Hamilton. We expect it to appear in Toronto, St. Catherines, and Montreal later this year and in 2025. The HOF Exhibition is currently housed at Canadian Mennonite University.
As Canada faces another global refugee crisis that is producing an unprecedented number of refugees, there is an opportunity for Canadians to learn from the not so distant past. Current and future resettlement and settlement responses during forced migration crises will benefit from a greater awareness within Canadian society of the experiences of the refugees from the three Southeast Asian countries.
In summary, with further funding provided by you the donor, we will be able to continue to present our travelling museum exhibition, including our documentary film, in English and French in all of the cities and towns in which we conducted interviews as well as in other locations in Canada and around the world.