The School Room

Gordon Jin | Another Chinese Head Tax? The 1906 Newfoundland Chinese Immigration Act

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/

Arlene Chan | Generational Activism: Documenting Chinese Canadian Belonging

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/

William Ping | The Newfoundland Paper Trail: Tracing Heritage Through Food and Writing

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/

Julie Eng | Magical Legacies: The Life of Tony Eng

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/

Mel Yip | Before it was a Museum: Stories from the Wing Sang Building

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/.

Rick Wong | War Tales: Force 136 and a Clandestine Love Story

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/.

Catherine Clement | The Paper Trail: A Story of Chinese Exclusion

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/.