At the outset of our recent conversation with Ziyang Li, he told us it was the community who helped him find his place in Regina.
The recent CBC 40 Winner, former Youth Leadership Award recipient, and one of the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan’s (MCoS) newest board members, — who is deeply passionate about community service — arrived in Canada in 2015 at the age of 17.
Ziyang Li pictured here at a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation event. | Submitted
“I was struggling with language barriers [in Saskatchewan, with] maybe lots of culture shock in the beginning because clearly English… wasn’t really used in public spaces,” he said, adding that he was born and raised in north-eastern China.
“And I’m glad I received lots of support from Regina Open Door Society (RODS), and other non-profit organizations like the Regina Public Library.
“Community is not only to live in, but also you have to build it around yourself and share cultural backgrounds with each other. Community for me is more … like a family,” Ziyang Li
“I slowly adapted myself into this new environment … I’m also glad I had a very good mentor when I was volunteering at a senior home,” he said, adding that it was his mentor who taught him a lot about inclusion, multiculturalism, and the history of Indigenous people in Canada.
“I’m glad I had such an introduction to Regina, Canada, and the community,” Li said.
Serving Saskatchewan: The Importance of Community
Though Li said there weren’t many Chinese students in his language class when he first arrived in Canada, he told MCoS that he was still able to communicate with other students through common interests and their shared experiences.
“When I was quite helpless, and when I was struggling with the new environment, [the] new place, RODS provided lots of programs like Summer Youth Camp or Homework Helps, or other social programs to help me adapt into the local community.”
“It made me realize how much impact they can make … that’s what started my passion for volunteering. It brought my passion back to the community.”
Post-2015 is when his interest in volunteering and community engagement started growing. Soon, he served on the Student Council at the University of Regina and has worked with various community organizations. He’s now a Community Connection Worker delivering cultural competencies training to partners, volunteers, staff and clients while building partners — a direct link to the organization that helped him when he first came to Canada.
Ziyang Li pictured at a Toronto Youth Conference. | Submitted
“If you look at how diverse Canada is — I think we have more than 150 ethnicities — I think community for me is not only about the people from the same cultural background that you live with but is more about how people can live with each other in the same region.”
“Community is not only to live in, but also you have to build it around yourself and share cultural backgrounds with each other. Community for me is more … like a family for me.”
The Impact of Multiculturalism in Saskatchewan
Though he first heard of MCoS in 2016 or 2017 during MOSAIC — which he says was likely his first time seeing the concrete, multicultural heritage of each community in Regina — when he won the Youth Leadership Award in 2023, he was shocked.
“It was also scary because I had to make a speech right away,” he said, laughing.
“At the same time I had a reflection,” he added. “Because I was thinking about what I’ve done in the past, it’s not my own progress, but what I’ve learned from my mentors and community members who taught me valuable lessons. Those resources I received in the past were an essential factor that I received this award.”
“Multiculturalism is one of the most important things we need to build upon in Canada,” Ziyang Li
The award he noted not only helped to recognize himself and his impact on the community but that as it can be hard to stay inspired and achieve his passions in the long term, the award serves as a reminder to keep pushing forward.
“Receiving this award inspired me to strive further … [growing] my passion in community service, and volunteerism.”
“I think this award helped me to spread the existence of the Saskatchewan Chinese Youth Association,” he said, an organization he co-founded in 2023.
“For me, it’s very important for me to not only share my Chinese heritage with other community members, but it’s also important for me to learn about Truth and Reconciliation, to learn about the importance of cultural perspectives and heritage.”
“Without multiculturalism, our community will be only divided rather than connected. Multiculturalism is one of the most important things we need to build upon in Canada.”
Charting out the Future: Growing the Community
And his connection with MCoS is just beginning. After coming full circle with RODS, in June Li took his next step in community engagement when he put his name forward for the MCoS Board of Directors.
Ziyang Li pictured here cleaning up the University of Regina Campus. | Submitted
“I think MCoS and RODS as well as other organizations provided me a very good understanding of multiculturalism … [and helped] me to continue to follow my passion.”
“I recognize the importance of non-profit governance. The Board Members are usually working with our stakeholders to build our strategic direction … and [it’s] important to be part of it, to share my experiences and learning from the past.”
“Right now, I don’t see myself as a community leader yet, but as a community servant. I want to grow more initiatives and continue serving [my] community,” Ziyang Li
“I wanted to be involved with MCoS. Also, [I’d] like to learn more from fellow Board Members and Rhonda [Rosenberg] … [they all] have a wealth of experience and I do see it as a very valuable learning experience to build upon and elaborate with my experiences.
But Li wants to see more growth and impact in the community before he’s ready to call himself a leader.
“Right now, I don’t see myself as a community leader yet, but as a community servant. I want to grow more initiatives and continue serving [my] community.”
“I would like to continuously work on my community initiatives … and hopefully we can grow several organizations to have a bigger impact,” he said, charting out a map for the next five years and beyond.
The Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan’s Youth Leadership Award is presented to a person under 29 years and under who’ve made promising contributions to multiculturalism in Saskatchewan. The Government of Saskatchewan and General Employees’ Union (SGEU) partners with MCoS to present this award. For more information about MCoS’ Multicultural Honours Awards, visit our website HERE, and submit a nomination before October 1, 2024.
The Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan has been raising awareness of the benefits of cultural diversity and the dangers of racism since November 22, 1975. MCoS became a provincial not-for-profit, non-governmental agency that works to ensure ethnocultural survival, strength and prominence and foster opportunities for cross-cultural interaction.
