Kerry Jang
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Kerry Jang () is a Canadian politician and psychologist. He previously served as councillor on
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
,
British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...
's
City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
between 2008 and 2018. From 2013, he also represented the city of Vancouver on the Greater Vancouver Regional District Board as a director. Prior to his election as councillor, Jang served as a professor of
psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of deleterious mental disorder, mental conditions. These include matters related to cognition, perceptions, Mood (psychology), mood, emotion, and behavior. ...
at the
University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
, a position he returned to after leaving politics.


Background

Born and raised in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
, Jang was the eldest of three siblings. His father, Leslie, was a Vancouver School Board (VSB)
plumber A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, hot-water production, sewage and drainage in plumbing systems.
for 20 years, and his mother, May, had an administrative career with the Provincial Court of British Columbia, taught Chinese cooking at the VSB's night school program, and sold cookware. Jang's paternal grandfather had three wives, of which Jang's paternal grandmother was third, and twenty-one children. Jang's grandfather made a fortune as a
merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...
after immigrating from China, but lost it all in the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. Jang's
maternal grandfather Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, or Grandma and Grandpa, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a m ...
was a pig farmer in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
and became a
tailor A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century. History Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
after immigrating to
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
.


Education

He attended Renfrew Elementary School prior to Windermere Secondary School, where he was scholastically mediocre. After graduating from high school, he worked on improving his grades at Vancouver Community College and then later transferred to
Simon Fraser University Simon Fraser University (SFU) is a Public university, public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It maintains three campuses in Greater Vancouver, respectively located in Burnaby (main campus), Surrey, British Columbia, Surrey, and ...
where he went to complete his
Bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ( ...
and
Master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
degrees in
Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
. He earned his Ph.D. in
Personality Psychology Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that examines personality and its variation among individuals. It aims to show how people are individually different due to psychological forces. Its areas of focus include: * Describing what per ...
at the
University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO; branded as Western University) is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thame ...
, where he initially studied under the highly controversial Canadian psychologist J. Philippe Rushton, who was known for his research on race, intelligence and penis length. Jang has described the experience of witnessing Rushton's censure, and the impact it had on his understanding of politics:


Politics

In September 2006, Jang announced that he planned to seek the federal NDP nomination for the Vancouver Kingsway riding, after being called by Jack Layton, the leader of the NDP. The incumbent was David Emerson, who had crossed the aisle to the Conservative Party after the earlier election in 2006. Jang subsequently backed out of the race. He was first elected councilor in the 2008 Vancouver municipal election under the Vision Vancouver banner, and re-elected in the
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
and
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
municipal elections. He was one of three elected city officials who served on Homeless Emergency Action Team,"Mayor Robertson announces creation of Homeless Emergency Action Team"
, '' Gregor Robertson press release'', December 9, 2008.
which conceived the controversial"Controversial homeless shelter to shut down Aug. 7"
, ''
Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, and is the larg ...
'', July 30, 2009.
"Decision on HEAT shelter closure likely today"
, ''
Metro Vancouver The Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), or simply Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian political subdivision and Corporation, corporate entity representing the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver, designated by provincial legislation as o ...
'', July 29, 2009.
"Controversial homeless shelter reopens"
/ref> Homeless Emergency Action Team (HEAT) shelters. In June 2014, Jang faced a court petition to remove him and fellow councilor Geoff Meggs from office for allegedly violating rules on conflict of interest in connection with the rezoning of a public housing project. In October 2016, Jang came under fire from Chinese Canadians after participating in the raising of a People's Republic of China national flag on the grounds of the Vancouver City Hall, sporting a red scarf. The event, organized by the Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations to mark China's National Day, is one of many flag ceremonies held at city hall. The Alliance of the Guard of Canadian Values, a group of mainland Chinese immigrants which has protested local celebrations of Communist leader
Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; traditionally Romanization of Chinese, romanised as Mao Tse-tung. (26December 18939September 1976) was a Chinese politician, revolutionary, and political theorist who founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in ...
, started an online petition calling for Jang's resignation. "I was shocked," said Meena Wong, former mayoral candidate for
COPE A cope ( ("rain coat") or ("cape")) is a liturgical long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A cope may be worn by any rank of the Catholic or Anglican clerg ...
, "to have my city councillor in my city hall raising the flag wearing the symbol of loyalty to communism, I was dumbfounded." Jang tried to deflect criticism by suggesting that the Chinese Canadian protesters were "rooted in ignorance and racism. ..To them it doesn't matter if it's a Communist government in China, they're just anti-Chinese." Jang announced in January 2018 he would not run in the municipal election to be held in November that year.


Family

Jang and his wife Vicki reside in the Renfrew-Collingwood area in East Vancouver."Dr. Kierry Jang, Psychiatry Professor, City Council Candidate"
, ''Vancouver Observer'', December 12, 2008.
They have two children.


References


External links



at Vancouver City Council {{DEFAULTSORT:Jang, Kerry Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century Canadian psychologists 21st-century Canadian psychologists Academic staff of the University of British Columbia Canadian people of Chinese descent Politicians from Vancouver Scientists from Vancouver Simon Fraser University alumni University of Western Ontario alumni Vision Vancouver councillors 21st-century Canadian municipal councillors