Category Archives: Chinese Canadian History

65 years ago – Larry Kwong broke the NHL colour barrier

Leave a reply

65 years ago today – Larry Kwong from Vernon BC, broke the colour barrier in the NHL. He played one shift for the New York Rangers in Montreal – then he was sent back to the minors, despite being the top scorer of the New York Rovers farm team. He moved on to play Major Hockey for the Valleyfield Braves of the Quebec Senior Hockey League where he was named assistant captain of the Valleyfield Braves. In 1951, Kwong won the Vimy Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the QSHL. That year, he led the Valleyfield Braves to the league championship and then to the Alexander Cup, the Canadian major senior title. In the following QSHL season (1951–52), Kwong’s 38 goals were topped only by Jean Béliveau’s 45 tallies. Larry will be inducted to the BC Sports Hall of Fame in September.

Historic anniversary for Larry Kwong

KWONG-articleLarge.jpg

65 years ago, Calgary’s Larry Kwong made hockey history by becoming the first Asian-Canadian to suit up in the National Hockey League. Larry Kwong joins us in studio to talk about his historic game.
Thumbnail

On July 23, 2010 – BC Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Dinner (Penticton, BC) Who was the first player from the Okanagan to make the NHL: this video introduced him to the gathering.

LARRY KWONG: The Longest Shot

Thumbnail

LARRY KWONG: The Longest Shot

CCNC calls on BC Government to return Head tax monies in wake of leaked document about targeting ethnic apologies

Leave a reply

After the leaked documents revealed the BC Liberal party to use ethnic apologies for “quick wins”, the Chinese Canadian National Council, has now called on the BC government to return the provincial portion of monies received from the Chinese Head Tax 1885 to 1925.  In 2006, the Canadian government acknowledged that the Head Tax was racist and dark part of the country’s history.  Canada issued an apology in parliament and created ex-gratia payment of $20,000 for surviving head tax payers or their spouses if they were pre-deceased.  Only less than 1% of head tax certificates were recognized in this manner.  Another legacy program for education was created called CHRP.

Here is the link to the CCNC website:

http://ccnc.ca/content/pr.php?entry=258

Acknowledging BC’s Racist Past by Returning Head Tax Monies to the Families
Friday March 1, 2013 

The Chinese Canadian National Council called on the BC government today to acknowledge its racist past and to return the provincial share of the head tax monies received back to the head tax families.

Vancouver/Toronto. The Chinese Canadian National Council called on the BC government today to acknowledge its racist past and to return the provincial share of the head tax monies received back to the head tax families.

The Chinese have a continuous history in BC since 1858 and have faced overt discrimination right from the beginning. The BC government attempted to pass a head tax but it was declared ultra-vires by the courts because immigration is a federal responsibility. The BC government was able to pass legislation to deny Chinese residents the right to vote and local politicians lobbied the federal government to enact the Head Tax in 1885 and Chinese Exclusion Act in 1923.

A significant amount of these head tax levies that were collected were transferred to BC government. CCNC estimates that $8.5 million, a sum with a present value of $800 million to $1 billion made its way back to BC to pay for the government’s operations and public works investments. “The BC government was unjustly enriched by this arrangement,” Sid Chow Tan, Chair of the Head Tax Families Society of Canada said today. “The BC government must properly and sincerely offer a meaningful apology to the head tax families by returning these ill-gotten gains to them.”

CCNC is also disappointed with the contents in the Haakstad memo that was leaked on February 27, 2013. “Acknowledging a historic wrong should never be viewed as a partisan ‘quick win’,” Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director added. “We appreciate the Premier’s apology for the memo and urge the BC government to negotiate in good faith with the head tax families to achieve a just and honourable resolution.”

“The BC Legislature passed a unanimous motion to support redress in 1992 and all parties should be included to ensure that the official legislative acknowledgement, apology and return of the head tax monies is seen to be non-partisan and sincere, and not made for political advantage.”

CCNC has lobbied for redress of the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act since 1984. In 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a Parliamentary Apology which included direct redress to the living head tax payers and surviving spouses. The symbolic financial redress – $20,000 per applicant – affected an estimated 785 families. Redress remains incomplete because some 3,000 head tax families were excluded as the head tax payer and spouse in those families had both passed on. CCNC has proposed that the BC government return a symbolic amount to the head tax families to give meaning to any official apology.

Founded in 1980, CCNC is a national non-profit organization with 27 chapters across Canada and a community leader for Chinese Canadians in promoting a more just, respectful, and inclusive society. CCNC and allies are one of the co-recipients of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s 2008 Award of Excellence for its work on the Chinese Head Tax redress campaign.

- 30-

For more information or media interviews, please contact:

Sid Chow Tan, Head Tax Families Society of Canada: sidchowtan@gmail.com

Victor Wong, Chinese Canadian National Council: national@ccnc.ca; 416-977-9871

Resources:

Sid Chow Tan on CBC Almanac: http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/British+Columbia/B.C.+Almanac/ID/2339522134/

http://www.globaltvbc.com/video/leaked+document+reveals+liberal+plan+to+win+ethnic+vote/video.html?v=2339362717&p=1&s=dd#video

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2013/02/27/bc-liberal-ethnic-strategy.html

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Liberals+target+ethnic+votes+ahead+2013+election/8026265/story.html

http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/2013/02/27/BC-Libs-Outreach/#

Feb 28 2013 BC Hansard: http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/39th5th/H30228y.htm

Feb 27 2013 BC Hansard: http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/39th5th/H30227y.htm

 

 

- CCNC

Harry Aoki tribute on CBC Radio North by Northwest with Dr. Jan Walls and Judy Hanazawa

Leave a reply

Lovely talk and memories about Harry Aoki on CBC Radio today with host Sheryl McKay, and Harry’s friends Jan Walls, and Judy Hanazawa. http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/ID/2338342167/

There will be a Celebration of Life for Harry Aoki on March 1st, a First Friday Forum.

St. John’s College UBC

please see the following websites for more details, and to RSVP.

Celebration of Life Harry Aoki | St. John’s College UBC

stjohns.ubc.ca/celebration-of-life-harry-aoki/

Celebration of the Life of Harry Aoki. Friday, March 1 St John’s College, UBC 6:00PM – Reception and Cash Bar 7:00PM – Program Begins. Guest Name* …

Remembering Harry Aoki | His Legacy

harryaoki.wordpress.com/

Harry Hirowo Aoki (1921-2013) devoted his life to music and intercultural harmony. A beloved friend and mentor to many in Vancouver and elsewhere, he was a …

Happy Canada Day Eve… tonight is the party for my grandmother’s 102nd birthday

Leave a reply

photo

This is a picture from last year… when Granny turned 101… she is surrounded by her great-grandchildren – my nephew Cohen and my niece Chloe are in this picture – photo T.Wong

Tonight is the 102nd birthday party for my grandmother. She was born in Victoria, the grand-daughter of Rev. Chan Yu Tan, who came to Canada in 1896. While her father Ernest Lee and husband Sonny Mar, both paid the Chinese head tax, they died decades before the apology. Life was very tough in those days, Granny was one of 14 brothers and sisters. After her father died, she and her 2 elder brothers helped to raise the rest of the siblings with the youngest being only a year old.

I love my grandmother, my mother’s mother… When I grew up, I saw her a lot, as she lived on the next street.  She tells me that when my mother came home from the hospital after giving birth to my younger brother – I didn’t recognize my now non-pregnant mother, and I ran back to Granny who had been babysitting me, while Dad brought Mom home from the hospital.

I am sorry for the time, when I was a child, and Granny was child-minding me and my brother – and I locked Granny out of the house.

I am grateful for the many times when Granny would listen to me play my accordion, over the phone… to encourage me in my practice.

This morning I drive to the airport to pick up my Hamilton area cousins who are descendants from Granny’s younger sister Esther, who was #4, following #1 Henry, #2 Arthur and #3 my grandmother Mabel.

Today is also her younger sister Helen’s 97th birthday in Nanaimo.  A few years ago, Auntie Helen’s friend was listening to CBC Radio’s North By Northwest Program with host Sheryl Mackay.  Sheryl had interviewed me about the Chinese-Canadian History Fair previously in Vancouver, but announced that there was a similar history fair at Malispina College (Now known as Vancouver Island Univeristy) and quickly brought Auntie Helen to see the exhibit.  Auntie Helen walked around the room, then suddenly recognized pictures of her grandfather.

“Hey, this is my mother… This is me!”  Who put up these pictures?”, she asked… as I stood a few paces behind her.  I soon greeted her and gave her a big hug.  Auntie Helen is one of the featured interviews in the CBC TV documentary series Generations: The Chan Legacy http://www.cbclearning.ca/history-geography/canadian-history/chan-legacy.html

 

http://www.cbclearning.ca/history-geography/canadian-history/chan-legacy.html

Dinner with Arlene Chan

Leave a reply
Jim Wong-Chu, Arlene Chan, Todd Wong.  Jim is holding “Swallowing Clouds” which he co-edited and contributed poems to.  Arlene is holding up her newest book “The Chinese in Toronto from 1878: From Outside to Inside the Circle.  I am holding “Paddles Up!” co-edited by Arlene and she also wrote chapter 1: The Beginnings, to which I contributed a quote, and a picture of the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team in the Vancouver Taiwanese dragon boat race.

www.arlenechan.ca

My writing career was launched in 1997 with The Spirit of the Dragon: the Story of Jean Lumb, a Proud Chinese Canadian. This children’s book tells the amazing story of my mother who was the first Chinese Canadian to receive the Order of Canada, the highest civilian honour, for her community activism. The Spirit of the Dragon was selected as a Choice Book by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre. My second book, The Moon Festival: a Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, was shortlisted for the Silver Birch Award. Awakening the Dragon: the Dragon Boat Festival was published in 2004 and as a paperback in 2007. My fourth publication was released in 2009 as the first book on Canadian dragon boating, entitled Paddles Up! Dragon Boat Racing in Canada. I am currently working on a second book for an adult audience. It is entitled The Chinese in Toronto from 1878: From Outside to Inside the Circle, to be launched in October 2011.
Back Row: Allan Cho, Sid Tan, Adrian Lee, Todd Wong, Sean Gunn, Bruce MacBay, Deb Martin
Front: Albert Lee, Beverly Nann, Arlene Chan, Mary Wong, Jim Wong-Chu
 Here is a youtube video of Arlene Chan talking about Toronto’s Chinese Canadian community, and it’s relationship with McGregor’s Socks, and how the clothing manufacturing industry brought the Chinese and the Scots Canadians together.

McGregor Socks: Arlene Chan

401 Wellington Street West At the former home of McGregor Socks, Arlene Chan tells the story of the Chinese community’s connection with Toronto’s …

Charlie Quan, head tax warrior, Rest In Peace, 1907-1912

Leave a reply
Charlie Quan stood up for Head Tax Redress in 2005 at age 98

Charlie
Quan was the the first person to receive a head tax redress ex-gratia
payment in 2006.  Charlie came to Canada as a small young child, and had
to pay $500 head tax, at the start of the previous century. In 2005, He
was a brave man calling for a full head tax redress and payment, when
others were feeling too afraid.  It was wonderful to meet and talk with
him, and I discovered he was the grandfather of one of my childhood
friends.

by
Todd
on Fri 20 Oct 2006 03:59 PM PDT

Charlie
Quan. Standing are Victor Wong, Gim Wong and Sid Tan – photo Todd Wong

I met Charlie through renowned head tax activist Sid Tan.  Sid told a story at Charlie's service in his eulogy, about how Charlie came up to him after the Supreme Court of Canada denied leave to appeal in 2003.  “Charlie came up to me,” Sid says, “He said, you and Gim and Victor are doing a good job, but you need some help.”

“You're a head tax payer?” Sid says he thought maybe Charlie was a son or descendant of a head tax payer. But Charlie Quan had come to Canada at a young age, and in 2003, he was only 96 years old.

In the next few years, the head tax redress ramped up to one of the major issues of the 2005-2006 federal election campaign.  The Liberal Government of Paul Martin promised the ACE program of Acknowledgement, Commemoration and Education.  But Charlie wanted an apology and a monetary redress.  He went on record as saying what he thought a fair price would be.  You can see him in this CBC interview. 

Check out my blog posts with Charlie here: http://www.gunghaggis.com/blog?cmd=search&keywords=charlie+quan

Sid Tan, friend of the family sent this message out yesterday evening.

In Memory of
Mr. Charlie Sang Now Quan
February 15, 1907 – February 23, 2012
 
Obituary
It is
with sadness that we announce the passing of Mr. Charlie Sang Now Quan. Charlie
was born in Hoyping, China and passed away peacefully in Vancouver, BC on
February 23, 2012 at the age of 105. He was predeceased by his wife, Own Yee
Lee. He is lovingly survived by his daughter-in-law Chung Yit Quan, his two sons
Gary, Wesley, his six grandchildren and his seven
great-grandchildren.

He will be deeply missed
by his family and friends. The family has asked for privacy until after the service.

by
Todd
on Mon 27 Nov 2006 10:12 PM PST
members: Libby Davies, Charlie Quan, Jack Layton, ??, Gim Wong, Ujjal Dosanjh – photo Todd Wong

by
Todd
on Fri 20 Oct 2006 04:08 PM PDT
Charlie Quan holding cheque, Foon
Chang Ron Mah, Victor Wong and Todd Wong – photo Eric

by
Todd
on Thu 22 Jun 2006 10:38 PM PDT

Charlie Quan with his favorite grandson Terry Quan – my elementary school friend – photo Todd Wong

Paul Yee reads at Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens on Sunday Feb 26

Leave a reply
Paul Yee reads from his new book “The Secret Keepers” at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Classical Gardens.

Paul Yee is one of the most prolific Chinese-Canadian writers.  I first got to know Paul back in 1986, when he was chair of the Saltwater City planning committee – for a museum quality exhibit celebrating 100 years of Chinese-Canadian history in Vancouver.  Since then, he was won the Governor General's Award for his book “Ghost Train”.  In his non-fiction book, Saltwater City (revised edition) there is a picture from the 2004 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner.

Check out the website for the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens
http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/calendar/feb2012.htm

The Secret Keepers
Book Launch

Sunday, February 26 | 2-4pm
at Hall of One Hundred Rivers
Music, Refreshments, Book Signing and Sale

Please join us! On February 26, Governor General's Award Winner Paul Yee will be at the Garden to launch his latest publication The Secret Keepers, a haunting novel set in San Francisco's Chinatown during the catastrophic earthquake of 1906.

Paul Yee, raised in Vancouver's Chinatown, is
one of Canada's most celebrated writers for young people. He is the
author of the prize-winning Saltwater City and other acclaimed books on
Canadian-Chinese culture and history.

Juno-nominated world music composer and musician Qiu Xia He will present a special Pipa (Traditional Chinese lute) performance at the book launch.

Check out the website for the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Gardens
http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/calendar/feb2012.htm

Chung Collection archives has a picture of my grandmother

Leave a reply

My grandmother mentioned that there was a picture of her and her family in the Chung Collection, listed under Yip Sang family.

“12
Children” are part of the 14 children that belonged to Kate &
Ernest Lee.  Kate was the eldest daughter of Rev. Chan Yu Tan.
All
the children were born in Canada.  My grandmother was born in Victoria
in 1910 – this July, she will celebrate her 102nd birthday.

back row:  (baby Ella?), Arthur, Howard, Mabel, Gordon, Esther, Helen, Henry

front row: Edith, Beatrice, Daniel and Ruth

Younger children not in picture or identified Leonard and Doug

Presently still surviving are:
Mabel, Ester, Helen, Edith, Ruth, Leonard and Doug

Helen Lee was a featured interview in the
CBC Documentary “Generations: The Chan Legacy“
Mable Lee was a
featured interview in the NFB film “Tribe of One” – a movie about
Arthur's daughter Rhonda Larrabee, Chief of Qayqayt First Nations
Daniel Lee, has been featured in many films about Chinese Canadian veterans.
Edith and her husband's farm outside of Toronto was sold to become a parking lot for Wonderland Amusement Park
Gordon's son Gary, was also a featured interview in “Generations: The Chan Legacy“
Howard,
Daniel, and Leonard all served during WW2 for Canada.  Daniel was a
founder of Pacific Unit 280 veterans and received many veteran service
awards and medals. Here is a good story of his contributions.

You can browse the Chung Collection digital archives here:
http://digitalcollections.library.ubc.ca/cdm4/index_coll0803-7.php?CISOROOT=/coll0803-7

Also Check out the Chung Collection blog:  http://chung.library.ubc.ca/news
they referenced my blog as having  “written some nice personal reminiscences and a round up of news articles here.”

Strombo wades in on the plagiarism issue of Ling Zhang's “Gold Mountain Blues”

Leave a reply
Plagiarism
and the Arts
George Stromboulopoulos comments on the current lawsuit
by authors Wayson Choy, Sky Lee and Paul Yee against Chinese born author
Ling Zhang – and points out some infamous examples of plagiarism
including George Harrison's song My Sweet Lord vs He's So Fine by The
Chiffons. 

    

Here are some of the highlight's from the article

Cold Play's “Viva la Vida” VS Joe Satriani's “If I Could Fly”

Strombo points out that unintentional plagiarism still gets you in trouble.  There are videos comparisons of Harrison's “My Sweet Lord” and “He's So Fine”, as well as Cold Play's “Viva la Vida” vs Joe Striani's “If I Could Fly” which was was settled out of court in September, 2009.  Strombo also points out the successful lawsuit by the Isley Brothers against Michael Bolton, who had both released songs titled 'Love is a
Wonderful Thing', only Bolton did it 25 years later.

More interesting are the literary references:

Teenager Kaavya Viswanthan, wrote a hit debut novel, 'How
Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life' which was found to contain different portions of two young adult novels by Megan McCafferty.

Stephen Ambrose's book 'The Wild Blue: The
Men and Boys Who Flew the B-24s Over Germany 1944-45' was found to have copied full passages from six different books that had not been listed as sources.

The Terminator Movie VS Outer Limits segments

If story “ideas” are proprietary, then Ling Zhang may be in big trouble.  Strombo points out that James Cameron had admitted that the idea of the Terminator movie was based on ideas from “a couple of Outer Limits segments”.  Author of the segments was author Harlan Ellison who settled out of court and had his name added to the end credits of the film.

Disappearing Moon Cafe

Can it also be a coincidence that Paul Yee's Saltwater City, Sky Lee's Disappearing Moon Cafe, Denise Chong's The Concubine's Children, and Wayson Choy's Jade Peony, were the 1989, 1990, 1994 and 1996 winners for the City of Vancouver Book Awards

 
The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy
  

Check out the listed examples of plot and character similarities that have been printed in news stories, from the Federal Court Statement of Claim

Sky Lee's Disappearing Moon Cafe (1990), pg. 3

In
grave danger, a young Chinese man is rescued and then cared for by a
beautiful girl, Kelora, of rare Chinese/ Native heritage.

Zhang Ling's Gold Mountain Blues (2011), pp. 256-285

In
grave danger, a young Chinese man is rescued and then cared for by a
beautiful girl, Sundance, of rare Chinese/Native heritage.


Sky Lee's Disappearing Moon Cafe (1990), pg. 237

The Chinese man is old now. Full of regret for his long lost love, Kelora, he dies after a visit from her.

Zhang Ling's Gold Mountain Blues (2011), pp. 511-513

The Chinese man is old now. Full of regret for his long lost love, Sundance, he dies after a visit from her.

Wayson Choy's The Jade Peony (1995), pp. 52-56

Wong
Suk is disfigured after working on the railway. He rescues a white
foreman who becomes gratefully indebted as well as a good friend. When
the foreman dies, his son passes along a precious piece of gold.

Zhang Ling's Gold Mountain Blues (2011), pp. 70-72, 145-147, 377

Ah
Fat is disfigured in a fight while working on the railway. He saves the
life of his white foreman. They become good friends over the years.
When the foreman's wife dies, her will leaves money to Ah Fat's son.

Paul Yee's The Bone Collector's Son (2003), pp. 62, 72-73, 79-80, 140-141

Fourteen-year-old
Bing works as a houseboy for a white couple in Vancouver. He becomes a
target of white bullies, but his employer Mrs. Bentley rescues him.

Zhang Ling's Gold Mountain Blues (2011), pp. 309-326

Fifteen-year-old
Kam Ho works as a houseboy for a white couple in Vancouver. He becomes a
target of white bullies, but his employer Mrs. Henderson rescues him.

Paul Yee's Dead Man's Gold and Other Stories (2002), pp. 73-78

Hard-working
Shek buys a farm while younger brother Ping hates farm work and goes to
the city to gamble. Shek pays everyone but Ping. Ping is unhappy. Ping
kills Shek.

Zhang Ling's Gold Mountain Blues (2011), pp. 235-236, 241, 243, 246, 247, 249, 328

Hard-working
Ah Fat buys a farm while his son Kam Shan hates farm work and goes to
the city to gamble. Ah Fat pays others but not Kam Shan. Kam Shan is
unhappy. He disappears.


Vancouver Asian Film Fest plays this weekend

Leave a reply

The Vancouver Asian Film Festival is now 15 years old.

I started attending VAFF around 2000, when festival founder Barb Lee came to a dinner event for Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop, trying to promote VAFF.  Many years later, VAFF is now one of the biggest and best events in the Asian Canadian cultural scene.  It has grown from a one day event to a four day event.

Back in 2000, there were few movies that were made or set in North America, and made by North American Asians.  A lot of films shown at early VAFF events still came from Asia, while some came from the US. 

In recent years, VAFF has really matured into its own.  The Mighty Asiam Movie Making Marathon has helped to develop more local talent and films.  VAFF events now regularly feature Canadian directors and film makers, as well as actors.

Here are some of the 2011 VAFF 15 events that have caught my eye… that I wish I could attend – if I wasn't already committed to performing my accordion in the Heart of the City Festival this weekend.

PROGRAM 1 – Opening Night Presentation: Almost Perfect

Thursday November 3, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Love Letter to Vancouver by director Joanna Wong
PROGRAM 5 – Canadian Asian Stories
Saturday November 5, 2011 at 11:00 AM

PROGRAM 7 – Chicks on Flicks – Women in Hollywood: Then & Now
Saturday November 5, 2011 at 4:00 PM

PROGRAM 10 – Vancity Shorts

Sunday November 6, 2011 at 1:00 PM