
40 years later, ethnic journalists are still being recognized.
The 40th Annual Awards CEMA gala was a formidable success for the following reasons:
As Canada’s only multilingual, multicultural showcase that acknowledges the contribution of the diverse sectors of ethnic media, the 40th CEMA Anniversary Gala brought together the intersections of both private and public sectors with a laser focus on multilingual, multicultural expression, in turn igniting civic engagement, promoting diverse cultural instincts and developing community engagement and participation .
The juried Award winners in 2018 were from the Canadian Macedonian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Greek, Russian and Black communities and as such demonstrated not only winning content that addressed ethnospecific issues in these communities but also challenged ethnocultural stereotypes and advanced cross cultural understanding.
The multilingual and traditional media coverage that captured the event contributed to positive portrayal of a diverse media sector and enhanced the self-esteem of heritage, immigrant and refugee communities.
The awards also increased the awareness of this 3rd pillar of communication as a vibrant and differentiating means of communication that provides necessary alternative perspective through an ethnocultural and cross cultural lens.