Part Of My Chinese-Canadian Heritage
I am the first generation of Canadian born Chinese in my family lineage. In my younger years, there have been countless situations when I found myself, in Montreal's Chinatown, listening to the elders chitchatting and exchanging their own coming to Canada stories. Though I had already heard so many different versions, I would usually prick up my ears and really become absorbed in the tales, soaking up every little detail. Even at a young age, I already knew that hardship, hunger, alienation by the host country, loneliness, lack of self respect, longing for family loved ones and the hope to return home one day were common threads to all these tales. The only difference was the specific people involved.
I found these beautiful photos in the Vancouver Public Library's archives. For those interested, there is also a timeline and details that document the Chinese labourers' contribution to the building of Canada from as early as the 19-th century. See complete photo gallery.
This is how my great-grand-father and grand-father came to Canada! Perhaps, my great-grand is in this photo?!... since we do not have a record of what he looks like. :((
Both my great-grand-father and grand-father worked on building the railroad. (Canadian Pacific Railway Company)
Washing For Gold
Logging
If you're lucky, you can work as a domestic.
Alienation: Three Men And A Dog
Being a "visual" person, these photos added more "color" and definition to the images that I had created in my head after listening to these stories told by the elders.
If you liked the photos, please bookmark this post and share it with your friends. Or, just Digg it....... by the right of the title.
I think more people should know about the "coming of age" story of Chinese Canadians in this great land of ours.
I’d appreciate it. :)
1 comments:
Hi Ken,
I too had relatives that landed in Vancouver. Whenever I see photos like the ones posted here, I wonder if maybe one of them could be my grandfather or great grandfather. Putting a face to the past would be like fitting missing jigsaw pieces. Perhaps I'll never see the whole puzzle but, hopefully enough to fulfil my curiosity. Like you, I don't have many photos. I mainly have anecdotes told by my parents that allow my imagination to draw the characters and colour them in. It doesn't quite satiate the hunger for something more concrete though - like I said, they're more fictional characters - which means they might not even be the heroic, brave and tough-survivors- overcoming-all-odds like I've built them up to be.
I've often wondered what they hoped for when they travelled so far to the Golden Mountain. Were they only dreams of riches ? Did it meet their expectations ? Or did they give up and live the rest of their lives regretting their choices ? What would they have done differently ? I'd have so many questions to ask them.
There are also the "what if" questions : what if they hadn't decided to cross the ocean - what would my family's life be like ? Would my parents' personalities be the same ? Would I be the same ? Would I even exist ? I'd like to think that everything happens for a reason. So, IF my relatives could see how our lives are presently - I like to think they'd be satisfied. That the sacrifices they made with the hopes of providing a better future for their family has been realized. And it is this thought that soothes the ache, the feeling something is missing.
pingping
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