“I have a strong sense of belonging as Kazakh …”

Guldana Salimjan talks to me about growing up as an ethnic minority in a Han Chinese environment in Urumqi, her brief time working in Beijing’s arts scenes, how the protests in Urumqi in 2009 became a turning point for her and for ethnic relations in Xinjiang, why she left home for Canada despite her parents’ reluctance, and why she is steadfast in her commitment to tell the ongoing stories of Kazakh communities’ survival and resilience.

Host: Helen Leung

Recorded on June 22, 2022 in Vancouver