What does it mean to be Chinese Canadian?
The Chinese community in Canada has a long history, encompassing individuals with diverse experiences and migration stories. The term “Chinese Canadian” refers to people who identify as having Chinese ancestry, and who reside in Canada.
With that in mind, this resource seeks to help answer the question of what it means to be Chinese Canadian. Through sharing links to online resources—including videos, virtual exhibitions, and archival collections—this learning resource brings together various perspectives with respect to significant chapters in Chinese Canadian history and culture.
These online learning resource pages cover Chinese Canadian identity, Chinese migration in Canada, and the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act. The website also provides a genealogical research guide for users interested in tracing their family history, as well as a page dedicated to culturally appropriate mental health resources.
In light of the Chinese Canadian Museum’s July 2023 opening at its permanent location and its inaugural exhibition, the Paper Trail to the 1923 Exclusion Act, this website serves to direct the public, museum visitors, educators, and students alike to resources that illuminate the Chinese Canadian experience. Many thanks to all of the individuals and organizations that produced these resources.
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Learning Resources
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Until recent decades the important contributions of Chinese Canadians have been overlooked in educational materials and popular media depictions. Thankfully, many community organizations, educators, and activists have long worked hard and advocated to remedy this injustice. More Canadians are now learning about the complex history of discrimination in the past, not only against Chinese Canadians,…
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The Chinese Canadian story does not begin or end with the railroad and chop suey, rather it contains many diverse experiences and identities. Throughout history, Chinese Canadians have organized, built community, and lived powerful tales of resilience, strength, and sacrifice. At the same time, stories of family and daily life have been shared around the…
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Chinese migration has left an important physical legacy in BC, from small town Chinese cafes to the Chinatowns of the cities. To this day, Chinese Canadians can be found in almost every town in BC, contributing to the growth and success of the province’s economy and diverse culture. How do we experience Chinese Canadian history…
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Chinese Canadian Stories at UBC Library Open Collections This digitized collection consists of materials in the holdings of UBC Library, SFU Library, City of Vancouver Archives, Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP) community partners, and other community contributors.The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection This collection at UBC Library contains more than 25,000 objects,…
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Virtual Exhibitions & ProjectsChinatown Reimagined Virtual Exhibition Created for the 2021 Chinatown Reimagined Forum through a collaboration between UBC INSTRCC, City of Vancouver, and community partners, the Chinatown Reimagined Virtual Exhibition contains interactive elements, videos, and resources about Vancouver Chinatown’s unique history and potential future.Royal BC Museum Learning Portal: Early Chinese Canadian Experiences in BC…
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ReadPublications by the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BCExamining the Intersections of Anti-Asian Racism and Gender-Based Violence in Canada This backgrounder is produced by the Learning Network of the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children at Western University. It uses intersectionality to explain the historical and contemporary contexts of anti-Asian…
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Interactive Digital Sound Map of Vancouver Chinatown by Angela HoHeritage BC Interactive Map – Chinese Historic PlacesMass Capture: Chinese Head Tax and the Making of Non-Citizens The Mass Capture project, led by Dr. Lily Cho at the York Centre for Asian Research, examines C.I. 9 certificates dating from 1910 to 1953. The project analyzes the…
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This online resource was developed through a collaboration between the UBC Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC) and the Chinese Canadian Museum. Since the inception of the Chinese Canadian Museum in 2017, UBC INSTRCC has helped develop feature exhibitions with the CCM, including A Seat at the Table and The…
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The city of Vancouver, UBC INSTRCC, and the Chinese Canadian Museum are located on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. The term “unceded land” refers to land that has not been legally ceded, meaning that it has not been handed over to the Crown through a…
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Elimin8hateSafely and anonymously report racist incidents targeting people of Asian descent in Canada, including in languages other than English.
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What is settler colonialism?Canada is built upon the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of Indigenous peoples who have lived here for thousands of years. Settlers–the non-Indigenous peoples whose ancestors migrated to Canada from elsewhere–come from many places, and the settler population is diverse. However, the establishment of Canada was based on settler colonialism and the…
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Intro to Exclusion ActOn July 1st 1923, the federal government passed the Chinese Immigration Act, which was also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act.The Exclusion Act made it illegal for Chinese people to enter Canada. The Act technically provided exemptions for diplomats, students, and merchants to enter Canada, but in practice, immigration officials rarely gave…
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Chinese Canadians actively lobbied against the Exclusion Act throughout the Exclusion Era. Both the repeal of the Act and the rights that were granted to Chinese Canadians following the repeal of the Act were influenced by community efforts to advocate for the rights of Chinese Canadians. The Chinese Immigration Act once banned Chinese immigrants from…
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The term “Chinese Canadian” generally refers to people who identify as having Chinese ancestry, and reside in Canada. Some Chinese Canadian families have been in Canada for multiple generations. The first Chinese Canadian communities were established in the mid-nineteenth century. A series of gold rushes in 1858 brought Chinese migrants to BC’s shores, hoping to…
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Paper Trail Collection The digital community archive contains the scans of C.I. certificates solicited from Chinese Canadians community members by the Paper Trail project over the past few years. If your family submitted a scan of a C.I. certificate to the Paper Trail, you can view it here. C.I. 44 Certificates As a condition of…
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Chinese Canadian Genealogy Guide from the Vancouver Public Library The Vancouver Public Library’s Guide is an excellent starting point that covers the basics of getting started in Chinese Canadian genealogy.Past Presence The blog of Chinese Canadian genealogist Linda Yip, which includes helpful explainers, tips, resources, and guides.Searchable General Register of Chinese Immigrants to Canada, 1886-1949…
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One of the most significant problems for anyone conducting genealogical research on their relatives is the difficulty of finding the names that their relatives are listed under in archival databases. Chinese in Canada were frequently listed in official records under names, spellings, and romanizations that they did not use in their day-to-day lives. Canadian customs…
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Crisis Line Association of BC(24 hours)1800SUICIDE: 1-800-784-2433 310Mental Health Support: 310-6789 Canada Suicide Prevention ServicePhone support (24 hours): 1-833-456-4566Text chat support (1pm-9pm PST): 45645
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Youthspace Crisis and emotional support through online IM and text (778-783-0177) chat for anyone in Canada under the age of 30.Subtle Asian Mental Health Facebook group for people of Asian descent to share “thoughts and feelings about anything, especially mental health.”Youthline Peer support for LGBT youth through telephone (1-800-268-9688), text (647-694-4275) and live chat services.The…
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Asian Mental Health Collective Asian Canadian therapist directoryHealing in Color Directory for BIPOC therapists committed to anti-oppressive, pro-queer, pro-trans, pro-sex worker, pro-black and anti-colonial values.Liberate Counselling Collective Affordable online counselling with an intersectional feminist, narrative and somatic approach; using a pay-what-you-can model between $70-90 per 50-55 min session.
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The transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was a crucial project that helped transform Canada into a modern nation-state by connecting it from coast-to-coast. In 1882, the CPR hired thousands of Chinese workers, including those who had previously worked on transcontinental railroads to California, to construct the section of the CPR located in British Columbia. In…
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During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, people from a small number of counties in Guangdong province on the southern coast of China began migrating in large numbers to Southeast Asia and throughout the Pacific region. For those who followed the Gold Rushes that began in the mid-19th century, destinations such as the west coast of…
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The region now known as British Columbia was imposed through colonialism on the unceded territories of the Indigenous people who lived there for thousands of years. Non-Indigenous individuals are uninvited guests who use land and resources taken from Indigenous peoples. Since colonial settlements and claims of belonging were built on ideas of white supremacy, Indigenous…
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Until recent decades the important contributions of Chinese Canadians have been overlooked in educational materials and popular media depictions. Thankfully, many community organizations, educators, and activists have long worked hard and advocated to remedy this injustice. More Canadians are now learning about the complex history of discrimination in the past, not only against Chinese Canadians,…
-
The Chinese Canadian story does not begin or end with the railroad and chop suey, rather it contains many diverse experiences and identities. Throughout history, Chinese Canadians have organized, built community, and lived powerful tales of resilience, strength, and sacrifice. At the same time, stories of family and daily life have been shared around the…
-
Chinese migration has left an important physical legacy in BC, from small town Chinese cafes to the Chinatowns of the cities. To this day, Chinese Canadians can be found in almost every town in BC, contributing to the growth and success of the province’s economy and diverse culture. How do we experience Chinese Canadian history…
-
Chinese Canadian Stories at UBC Library Open Collections This digitized collection consists of materials in the holdings of UBC Library, SFU Library, City of Vancouver Archives, Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP) community partners, and other community contributors.The Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection This collection at UBC Library contains more than 25,000 objects,…
-
Virtual Exhibitions & ProjectsChinatown Reimagined Virtual Exhibition Created for the 2021 Chinatown Reimagined Forum through a collaboration between UBC INSTRCC, City of Vancouver, and community partners, the Chinatown Reimagined Virtual Exhibition contains interactive elements, videos, and resources about Vancouver Chinatown’s unique history and potential future.Royal BC Museum Learning Portal: Early Chinese Canadian Experiences in BC…
-
ReadPublications by the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BCExamining the Intersections of Anti-Asian Racism and Gender-Based Violence in Canada This backgrounder is produced by the Learning Network of the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children at Western University. It uses intersectionality to explain the historical and contemporary contexts of anti-Asian…
-
Interactive Digital Sound Map of Vancouver Chinatown by Angela HoHeritage BC Interactive Map – Chinese Historic PlacesMass Capture: Chinese Head Tax and the Making of Non-Citizens The Mass Capture project, led by Dr. Lily Cho at the York Centre for Asian Research, examines C.I. 9 certificates dating from 1910 to 1953. The project analyzes the…
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Paper Trail Collection The digital community archive contains the scans of C.I. certificates solicited from Chinese Canadians community members by the Paper Trail project over the past few years. If your family submitted a scan of a C.I. certificate to the Paper Trail, you can view it here. C.I. 44 Certificates As a condition of…
-
Chinese Canadian Genealogy Guide from the Vancouver Public Library The Vancouver Public Library’s Guide is an excellent starting point that covers the basics of getting started in Chinese Canadian genealogy.Past Presence The blog of Chinese Canadian genealogist Linda Yip, which includes helpful explainers, tips, resources, and guides.Searchable General Register of Chinese Immigrants to Canada, 1886-1949…
-
One of the most significant problems for anyone conducting genealogical research on their relatives is the difficulty of finding the names that their relatives are listed under in archival databases. Chinese in Canada were frequently listed in official records under names, spellings, and romanizations that they did not use in their day-to-day lives. Canadian customs…
-
Elimin8hateSafely and anonymously report racist incidents targeting people of Asian descent in Canada, including in languages other than English.
-
Crisis Line Association of BC(24 hours)1800SUICIDE: 1-800-784-2433 310Mental Health Support: 310-6789 Canada Suicide Prevention ServicePhone support (24 hours): 1-833-456-4566Text chat support (1pm-9pm PST): 45645
-
Youthspace Crisis and emotional support through online IM and text (778-783-0177) chat for anyone in Canada under the age of 30.Subtle Asian Mental Health Facebook group for people of Asian descent to share “thoughts and feelings about anything, especially mental health.”Youthline Peer support for LGBT youth through telephone (1-800-268-9688), text (647-694-4275) and live chat services.The…
-
Asian Mental Health Collective Asian Canadian therapist directoryHealing in Color Directory for BIPOC therapists committed to anti-oppressive, pro-queer, pro-trans, pro-sex worker, pro-black and anti-colonial values.Liberate Counselling Collective Affordable online counselling with an intersectional feminist, narrative and somatic approach; using a pay-what-you-can model between $70-90 per 50-55 min session.
-
The city of Vancouver, UBC INSTRCC, and the Chinese Canadian Museum are located on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. The term “unceded land” refers to land that has not been legally ceded, meaning that it has not been handed over to the Crown through a…
-
This online resource was developed through a collaboration between the UBC Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC) and the Chinese Canadian Museum. Since the inception of the Chinese Canadian Museum in 2017, UBC INSTRCC has helped develop feature exhibitions with the CCM, including A Seat at the Table and The…