The community of the DTES is multi-cultural, with many residents connected to culturally diverse communities and histories, including the Chinatown district, as well as the histories of Japanese residents in Oppenheimer, prior to World War II and the devastation of the internment camps.
While the community is located on Coast Salish territories, the DTES has a higher proportion of Indigenous people than other communities within Vancouver, and includes Indigenous people from across North America. While recognized for poverty, homelessness, substance use, the DTES also needs to be acknowledged for their multi-cultural, inter-connected communities that care for each other.
The project provides a tour of some of the community-based services in the DTES, and shares video interviews with community members who have been impacted by stigma.