The School Room

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 is the only immigration law in Canadian history to have prevented a particular group from entering the country on the basis of race, specifically barring people of Chinese descent from legally entering Canada from 1923 until 1947 with very few exceptions. Preventing entry denied many prospective Chinese people opportunities for new experiences and economic gain in Canada. However, it also meant that the Chinese already in Canada were prevented from having their families join them in their new lives across the Pacific.  Mah Tin Yick was one of many Chinese whose life was profoundly impacted by this draconian law. Arriving in Victoria from China in 1885, just before the head tax was implemented, Mah Yick settled in Salmon Arm, British Columbia and ran a hand laundry business with his family. However, tragedy struck when his partner passed away just after the Exclusion Act came into effect, leaving him struggling to care for his two young daughters on his own.  On this episode of the School Room podcast, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee is joined by Janet Bradley Worthington, Mah Yick’s granddaughter. Tune in to hear about how Mah Yick was personally impacted by the family separation the Exclusion Act brought on, the role the Oriental Home and School played in Janet’s family history, and what it took for Janet to uncover these stories through searching Chinese Canadian archival records. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

Dr. Lillian Eva Quan Dyck’s life has been one of many firsts. The first Indigenous female senator, first Canadian-born senator of Chinese descent, and first Indigenous woman in Canada to earn a PhD in science. Lillian has blazed trails in the sciences and Senate for her work in reforming the Criminal Code to consider harsher penalties for crimes against Indigenous women, the restoration of Indian Status for Indigenous women who had married non-Indigenous men, and her career as a neuropsychiatrist.   On this Truth and Reconciliation Day special episode, Lillian Dyck discusses why she was told to hide her Indigenous heritage and lean into her Chinese identity growing up, her subsequent advocacy and incredible achievements in the Senate for women and Indigenous peoples, and the inspirations behind Shelley Niro’s recent film based on Lillian’s life, Café Daughter. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

The Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 1984 marked the first time an Olympic gold medal was awarded to a Chinese Canadian athlete. Lori Fung’s gold in the newly debuted sport of rhythmic gymnastics not only made history as the first Chinese Canadian and Japanese Canadian gold medalist, but also as the first ever rhythmic gymnastics gold medalist. On this episode, Lori talks growing up in East Vancouver and Canadian representation in sports, her Olympic experience, and her big screen debut as an aerial ballerina in the 2004 Catwoman movie. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

Chun Hon Chan was the first Chinese Canadian to compete in the Olympic Games, participating in the weightlifting competitions at the Mexico City 1968 and Munich 1972 Summer Games. Standing at just 5'2" and weighing in at 120 pounds, his appearance and strength defied expectations during a time when Chinese men were stereotyped as physically weak. On this episode of the School Room, Debbie and Derek Chan, children of Chun Hon Chan, recount memories of their father, including his journey to Canada as a paper son, hardships as a restaurant worker and owner, and his disciplined lifestyle as an athlete. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

Shelley Niro (Mohawk) is a multidisciplinary contemporary artist, best known for her work in photography, painting, sculpting, beadwork, multimedia, and independent film. On this special episode celebrating National Indigenous History Month, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee and Shelley discuss the challenges surrounding representations of Indigenous peoples, stereotypes, and identity in her works, including in her latest film Café Daughter. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

Charlayne Thornton-Joe is perhaps best known for her stint as a city councilor in Victoria, where she tirelessly advocated for diverse cultural groups, including that of her own Chinese heritage. Today she serves as the Visitor Experience and Facilities Coordinator for the Chinese Canadian Museum’s Victoria exhibition in Fan Tan Alley, working together with a team of dedicated volunteers to uplift the Chinatown community. Join Charlayne and host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee in discussing the initiatives Charlayne undertook as city councillor, her highlights from working in Victoria Chinatown, and what building community looks like to her. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

For many, Newfoundland is not usually the first place that comes to mind when thinking of the Chinese Canadian diaspora. While Canada and the United States closed their doors to Chinese immigration until the 1940s, Newfoundland, still a British colony, was the last place in North America to remain open to Chinese, albeit immigration came with a hefty head tax as an entry fee. Gordon Jin, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Head Tax Redress Organization, joins The School Room to discuss the impact this act had on Chinese immigration to Newfoundland, the role hand laundries played in the economic fabric of the Chinese diaspora, and the work his organization has undertaken to memorialize this period of Newfoundland history. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

What does it mean to serve your community? On this International Women’s Day special episode, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee sits down with Arlene Chan, author, historian, activist, and daughter of Jean Lumb – the first Chinese Canadian woman to be inducted into the Order of Canada for her own community activism. Tune in to learn about the work these two generations of women have undertaken for the Chinese Canadian community at large, the evolution of Toronto’s Chinatowns, and what it was like to serve as a cultural consultant for the Disney-Pixar movie, Turning Red. Interested in learning more about stories of Chinese Canadian women who lived during the Exclusion Era, like Arlene’s mother, Jean Lumb? Visit The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, on view at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver Chinatown. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

What do a photo album restaurant directory, steamed broccoli, and an autofiction novel have in common? All three were used by William Ping in reconnecting with his late grandfather, William Ping Sr, who was one of about 300 Chinese men to settle in Newfoundland when the Newfoundland Chinese head tax was in effect. On this month’s episode, William Ping, CBC journalist and author of Hollow Bamboo, talks tracing family history and the St. John’s culinary scene with host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee. Curious to find out more Newfoundland Chinese stories? Visit The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, on view at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver Chinatown. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

Chinese Canadian magician Tony Eng (1946-2008) was a beloved fixture in the Victoria, B.C. bar, restaurant, and entertainment scene for more than thirty years. His long list of accomplishments include running his own magic shop that was frequented by locals and tourists alike, establishing his unique magic show that drew inspiration from his Chinese heritage, and mentoring successive generations of up-and-coming magicians. On this episode, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee sits down with one of Tony’s mentees – Julie Eng, daughter of Tony and professional magician herself – to discuss the life and legacy of the man behind the magic. The Magic of Tony Eng is on view now at the Chinese Canadian Museum’s Fan Tan Alley location in Victoria, B.C. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/

Though museums typically house pieces of history, rarely are museums themselves housed within historic buildings. The Chinese Canadian Museum is a unique exception to this with its location inside the Wing Sang Building, the oldest brick building in Vancouver Chinatown and a heritage building listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. On this episode, join host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee as she chats with Mel Yip— grandson of the man who established the Wing Sang Building and resided in the building with his extensive family, Yip Sang — and reminisce on his own memories of growing up surrounded by floors of family members in what he calls “a community within a community” to learn about some of the traditions held by this unique Chinese Canadian family.  Want to learn more about the historic Wing Sang Building? The Chinese Canadian Museum offers special guided tours every month that give participants exclusive access to additional spaces inside and outside the building. For more information, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/programs/wing-sang-building-tour. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/.

During World War II, thirteen Chinese Canadian men were hand-picked to serve as the first recruits of Force 136, a British Special Operations Executive unit whose mission was to blend in and infiltrate enemy lines in Japanese-occupied Southeast Asia. On this Remembrance Day special episode, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee is joined by Rick Wong, whose father, Henry "Hank" Wong, was one of the original members of Force 136, and mother, Myrtle Wong, was one of the few Chinese allowed to enter Canada while the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1923 was in effect. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/.

In this inaugural episode of The School Room, the podcast of the Chinese Canadian Museum, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee sits down with curator Catherine Clement to discuss her exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act. To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/