JIA Foundation

Vision

We envision a Montréal Chinatown where the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Asian diaspora is conserved and enabled to thrive.

Mission

The JIA Foundation fosters Chinatown's cultural heritage through education, space activation and community-driven approaches to real estate.

Mandate

The JIA Foundation is a non-profit organization in Québec with a mandate to protect and promote the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Montréal’s Chinatown.

We do this by:

- Activating underutilized Chinatown spaces.

- Guiding strategic policy, programs and initiatives to protect the history of Montreal’s Chinatown and foster equitable development and community ownership solutions.

- Empowering the Asian diasporic and working-class community of Montreal’s Chinatown to develop expertise, capacity, and tools to map-out, secure and advocate for the neighbourhood’s future.

- Engaging diverse groups, organizations and governments in ways that are inclusive, culturally relevant, art/storytelling-based and intergenerational.

JIA commits to do its work within these guiding principles and values:

1. Anti-colonial practices anchored in the history of Chinatown as space of sanctuary and belonging for marginalized groups

2. Community collaboration and commitment to grassroots and democratic participation

3. Prioritizing equitable development solutions and community-minded stewardship and ownership