Hello! I’m a Vancouver journalist known for my written features about the city and its suburbs.

I am currently a staff reporter at The Tyee. I also write books.

On My Writing Projects

I am interested in the power and politics behind urban change, and how Vancouver’s many diasporas strive to make a home in a city with colonial legacies.

I’ve written features on: the “Baklava Man,” a Syrian politician turned refugee food vendor on our downtown streets; the colonial history of the invasive Himalayan blackberry; the making of suburban Chinese malls; the factories that supply fresh tofu, paneer, and beef balls to supermarkets and restaurants; and the symbolism of the lions and pinecones that guard the thousands of Vancouver Specials in the city.

I’ve also written personal essays that reflect a side of the city you don’t often see in the postcards, such as: on life in Victoria-Fairview, Vancouver’s most diverse neighbourhood; our history of bubble tea; and how my local-born peers cannot make it into the housing market without help from the bank of mom and dad, resulting in what I call “inheritance capitalism.”

I’ve just started to write books too. My first is titled Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism and will be published with UBC Press on Sept. 16, 2024. The second is a non-fiction anthology of Vancouver stories and is due to be published with ECW Press fall 2026.

A Decade in a Changing Industry

I started freelancing as a journalist in 2014 and graduated with a Master of Journalism from the University of British Columbia in 2016.

I first made a name writing a column for the Vancouver Courier called Talk of the Block (2015 to 2018) and another in Metro called Urban Scrawl (2017 to 2018). You might remember my profile of the legendary Duffin’s Donuts with its Cambodian-Californian roots and the hustle-and-bustle of the 24/7 scale model workshop that makes our glass city in miniature.

As a sign of the times, both of these newspapers are no longer around. The Tyee, where I currently work, has found success in the tumultuous industry thanks to its reader-supported model.

When I’m Not At My Desk…

I have a passion for learning about neighbourhoods as they really are, centered on people, places, and the power dynamics at play. This means combining the sidewalk perspectives of locals and the big ideas of academic research. (PR people who contact me thinking that my “neighbourhood reporting” means covering their client’s new restaurant opening are often disappointed.)

This has led to many invitations to speak in educational settings, from courses at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Langara College, and the University of Toronto on urban issues, housing, journalism, and creative non-fiction.

I have also been invited to speak at events hosted by the Cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, and Richmond, the Planning Institute of British Columbia, Hua Foundation, and SFU Public Square.

My radio/podcast appearances include CBC shows such as The Current, The Early Edition, On the Coast, North by Northwest, and BC Today, as well as Canadaland COMMONS, CKNW’s Lynda Steele and Jas Johal Shows, Vancouver Co-op Radio and CiTR.