Please note that the titles and descriptions that accompany each Trailblazers photograph are dated to the launch of the exhibit, March 2006, and will not be updated.
"There is a Chinese saying that food is heaven. But food is also important to me for another reason. Many early Chinese immigrants opened their own restaurants because of racism. Today, many trained professionals are still working in restaurants, exploited and underpaid. I want to address that injustice."
Avvy Yao-Yao Go '89
Clinic Director, Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic
Using her law degree to help Toronto's marginalized racial communities has been a lifelong career passion for Avvy Yao-Yao Go. Her commitment to social justice began in law school with volunteer work at Downtown Legal Services. It was there that she first noticed the difficulties confronted by Chinese-Canadian immigrants and refugees as a result of systemic problems within the legal system. Deciding it would be more satisfying to help the disadvantaged than closing deals on Bay Street, for almost two decades Avvy has helped tens of thousands of immigrants and refugees navigate a complex system. As a first generation Chinese-Canadian immigrant herself, she feels a personal connection to her clients, even though she may not have experienced their challenges. She has also been involved in the campaign to seek redress for the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, which represented 62 years of legislated racism towards early Chinese-Canadian pioneers. Avvy vows to continue her fight for the surviving Chinese Head Tax payers and widows until justice is done.
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