Jordon shares his family’s history from his great great grandparents to the present. He noted he did not feel a sense of belonging growing up in a predominantly white community where people made fun of his kung fu practice and would call him racial slurs. He voices the importance of this message: Don’t be complicit and reinforce your values.” By this, he means to focus on community and step up against racism of all forms.
Jordon Chan, 陳加俊 (he/him) currently resides in Boston, USA as an Operations Engineer at Ginkgo Bioworks, and is currently the Secretary at the Asian Gold Ribbon Campaign. Twenty-Nine years ago, Jordon Chan, was born in Red Deer, Alberta by First Generation Chinese immigrants. His historic roots in Red Deer started in the 1910s when his paternal Great Great Grandfather (太太爺) emigrated from Taishan county, China and co-opened the renowned Club Café in 1916 with George Moon. The esteemed Western Chinese restaurant, succeeded by Willie Mah, was closed by Chan’s family in 2006. Despite being raised in a predominantly white municipality, Jordon established an appreciation of his culture from his family’s business and his early enrollment in Chinese martial arts. He developed a strong desire to create a better community for Asians as he struggled with a sense of belonging during his youth.
