June 29th, 2.00pm – 3.00pm (PST) at Centre A.
It all started with a short piece on CBC’s First Person — a reflective story about a Chinese Canadian kid growing up in a small, predominantly white rural town in Canada. What began as a snapshot of memory — filled with humour, heartache, and uneasy belonging — resonated far more deeply than expected. Readers reached out, sharing their own stories of difference and identity. Encouraged by the overwhelming response, that small written piece grew into something bigger: a full-length memoir, Restaurant Kid.
In this intimate event, join Rachel Phan as she shares the remarkable journey from writing a short personal essay to writing a book that grapples with race, home, and her complicated past. The memoir unpacks the loneliness of being the only racialized person at her school, the microaggressions that leave lasting scars, and the unexpected pockets of connection that sustain hope. It’s a story about growing up, growing apart, and finding a way back to oneself and one’s family.
Through Rachel’s readings and conversation, we’ll explore how telling even a small story can open the door to something much larger — and why these stories matter more than ever. If you have a story, bring it and be ready to be inspired.
Rachel Phan is a Chinese Canadian author born and raised in a small town in Southern Ontario, where she was one of only two racialized people in her class. Growing up, Rachel always felt a little lost and a lot lonely. She sought escapism from her life by writing the stories she desperately wanted to see, ones where a Chinese-Vietnamese girl like her was the main character. It was no surprise when she got two journalism degrees and became a professional writer. A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s Master of Journalism program, she has shared her stories on CBC, HuffPost, the National Post, and Maclean’s. Rachel’s work often explores the impacts of racism, assimilation, fetishization, and forced displacement on one’s feelings of identity, belonging, and self-worth. Her debut book, Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging, publishes in Spring 2025. Rachel now lives in Toronto, ON. For more information, www.rachelphan.com and follow @rachelmphan.
Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, 268 Keefer St Unit 205, Vancouver, BC V6A 1X5
We would like to acknowledge that our festival takes place on the unceded traditional territories of the Skwxwú7mesh, Səl̓ílwətaɬ and xʷməθkwəy̓əm First Nations.
LiterASIAN 2025 