Head Tax Consultation meeting in Montreal: report from Victor Wong

The Montreal consultation was restorative for many in the audience. George Lau, Binh Chow, Mr. Ng, Doug Hum, representing the Ontario Coalition, Maria Chan from CBA Toronto and others including yours truly drove up from Toronto. Jonas Ma (CCNC Ottawa) from drove in from Ottawa. Yat Lo and Christina Samfat (Amite Chinoise) spoke. Doug, Maria Chan and Jonas spoke. Everyone urged the govt to move quickly and do the right thing. Please see William’s report below.

Many families spoke from their heart...Mrs. Wong's presentation was very powerful especially when she held up her father's laundry bag. Many of local  laundries in Montreal were run by Chinese families (check out William’s film: Moving The Mountain). 

Filmmaker Karen Cho, who is also a descendant, gave a strong presentation. I was sitting beside the microphone where she spoke and her voice shook the entire room. Karen recalled the stories she heard from the many families she met while making her film “In The Shadow of Gold Mountain” and presented a DVD copy to Minister Oda. Please see the CanWest/National Post news article below; the Gazette has an edited version.

I spoke about CCNC's work, my own family's experience under the HTEA (more than 50 years to unite our family in Canada and I consider my family lucky because so many people never met their father or grandfather), and I paid tribute to the local groups including Amite Chinoise, Redress Alliance, NCCC (Quebec) and CBA-Canada affiliates. Only local NCCC reps spoke and they pitched the AiP but they didn’t oppose the families. I asked the govt to include a meaningful gesture of regret to the families. 

William, May and Walter spoke. Doug Hum got the last word in: "Leave the head tax money for the head tax payers and their families."

We still have to work hard to convince the govt to resolve this issue in a just and honourable manner, in a manner that respects our common interests of family, respect and dignity and to do this preferably by July 1st.

 

explorASIAN festival, BC Book Prize Gala, ADBF public paddling program, MAY DAY 2006** "Long live International Workers' Day!", SPIRIT OF SCOTLAND, SOUNDS OF SCOTLAND, RICE ROCKETS & YACHT PEOPLE, PALESTINE, ISRAEL, AND ME: A POWER PLAY, explorYOUTH 2006: e-race, JAPANESE FAIRYTALE, TOMODACHI, FINDING HOME -    more »

Busy Busy day for Joy Kogawa and the Save Kogawa House Committee and The Land Conservancy. Joy Kogawa and Bill Turner took a 7am ferry from Victoria to Vancouver, following the jam-packed reading at Chapters bookstore last night. They went over to CTV and CBC television studios for interviews. Kevin Griffin of the Vancouver Sun, phoned looking for Joy for a quick comment. He said the story will be running in Saturday's Vancouver Sun.   more »

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 28, 2006 VANCOUVER, BC – TLC The Land Conservancy of British Columbia announced today that it is moving forward with the purchase of the historic Joy Kogawa House and will prevent its demolition. “While we still need to raise more funds to purchase and operate the house, our ‘option to purchase’ expires this weekend,” explained TLC Executive Director Bill Turner. “We are out of time. So TLC has decided to step forward, and take out a mortgage if necessary, to make sure that this important piece of our country’s heritage will not be lost.”   more »

It's TRUE! It really is going to happen! The Land Conservancy is moving forward to exercise their option to purchase Kogawa House from the owner. Lots of happy people around the world... now to make it REALLY HAPPENING! The Metro News called me yesterday for a comment for a story. Reporter Tia Able said that Bill Turner had just told her "We're buying the house - no matter what. It's going to happen."    more »

Sing Tao (April 24): story about Gung Haggis dragon boat team and the ADBF public paddling program



The ADBF public paddling program is a wonderful, safe and easy way to try out dragon boat paddling.  Life jackets and instruction are provided for $2, and your signature on a waiver form.

The most frustrating thing would be to find yourself paddling with 19 other people, who have no idea what they are doing.  We pair every paddling neophyte up with an experienced paddler, as a paddle-buddy + have two boats paddle side by side, so you can see what is going on.  We also have a mini-race to give you a chance to taste the adrenaline from dragon boat racing.

Sing Tao newspaper came out to the ADBF public paddling session last week.  Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team assists with the program, providing instruction and experienced paddlers for the 30 to 40 minute paddle on False Creek from Dragon Zone, the ADBF club house.  Last week about 9 new paddlers came out to try dragon boat paddling for the first time in their lives, and they had a blast!

Some of the paddlers have enjoyed the paddling experience so much, they have asked to join the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team!

The Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team emphasizes a multicultural atmosphere, simultaneously with fitness and fun.  The team was the 2005 winner of the David Lam Award for best representing the multicultural spirit of the at the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival.

Coach Todd Wong (me), gives a short history of dragon boat racing from China to Vancouver, explaining some of the cultural and historical background of this 2000 year old activity that came to Vancouver in 1986.  Todd is an experienced coach, having won many medals coaching and racing on teams at races in Victoria, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Kelowna and Vancouver, since 1993.  He has served on the Alcan Dragon Boat Festival Race committee, as well as the CCC Dragon Boat Association Board - where he helped to found the Vancouver International Taiwanese Dragonboat Race.

I get my 30 year service pin at the Vancouver Public Library!


Paul Whitney (City Librarian), Todd Wong, and Joan Andersen (VPL Board Chair), after the presentation of 25 year and 30 year service pins at a Vancouver Public Library Board meeting.  You can see the gold pin with a tiny diamond in my left lapel.  Cool! - photo Deb Martin.


25 and 30 year service pins were handed out tonight at the VPL board meeting tonight.

VPL Chair, Joan Andersen, invited each of the 20 library employees up, while she read short biographies of each of them.  It was great to listen to each biography, because they were personalized not only with the locations of our work history, but also with our life interests and community work.

There was my friend Bob Flesher, with whom I used to work on the library delivery truck (Fridays were "hat day"); Susan Bridgman and Nanita Evans, with whom I first worked at Joe Fortes Library 25 years ago.  Judi Walker and Jane White are branch head librarians.  Susan Pendakur in Computer Systems, Jennifer Haines at Kensington Branch.  And so many more friends I have made over the years...Wow!

I can't believe that I have worked at the Vancouver Public Library for 30 years.

I like to say I started inutero, because my mother was working at the Vancouver Public Library while she was pregnant with me.  I actually started when I was still 15 years old while in highschool.

"Todd started part-time as an Library Assistant 1, and have risen to become a Library Assistant III," stated Library Board Chair Joan Andersen.  "He is also known for much of my community work such as working to help save the Joy Kogawa House, as well as Gung Haggis Fat Choy, a combination Robbie Burns and Chinese New Year Dinner - which now has served 600 people" (and which featured CBC Radio host Shelagh Rogers as co-host at the 2005 dinner). 

"And has become an annual event at the library as the "Gung Haggis Fat Choy World Poetry Night," I added.

"Thank you for your service to the library, and for what you do in the community," concluded Joan.

I first met Joan Andersen, in her capacity as CBC Radio regional director English Language, through some of my activities with CBC Radio.  She is a wonderful chair for the library, and receives many compliments.  She actually used to be a librarian, before she did a graduate degree in Human Resources and worked for the CBC.

Paul Whitney is City Librarian, whom I first met back in the 1980's through a mutual friend, Susan Bridgman, who also recieved her 30 year pin tonight.  Paul was formerly director of the Burnaby Public Library up until a few years ago.  He does amazing advocacy work on behalf of libraries.  I am proud to know them both.

This event was to raise money and awareness about the house that author Joy Kogawa grew up in. When she was 6 years old, her family was forced from the only home she had ever known and forced to live in what she described as shacks for the next 30 years. The family was interned in Slocan, than sent to work beet farms in Alberta, "to work for nothing and prove their loyalty to Canada," as Coyote said in the Thomas King story. Actors and cultural celebrities were invited to read some of Canada's most important literary works. Obasan and some of the works read such as Anne of Green Gables are listed on the recent Literary Review of Canada's 100 Most Important Canadian Books Ever Written. Authors such as Thomas King and Leonard Cohen were also presented, to create a short but incredibly rich and diverse samplng of Canadian literary riches. Readers include: Sheryl Mackay, Joy Coghill, Doris Chilcott, Rhonda Larrabee, Bill Dow, Hiro Kanagawa, Maiko Yamamoto, Minami Hara, Marion Quednau, singer Leora Cashe, MC's Bill Turner and Todd Wong + Joy Kogawa LOTS OF PICTURES!    more »

In 1192, Richard the Lionhearted captured Acre along the coast of Palestine, taking prisoner 3,000 of Saladin’s men. He was on the Third Crusade to conquer Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Saladin stalled on negotiations over the prisoners, so since keeping them cost too much for Richard so far from home, he slaughtered them. Negotiations went poorly after that. Richard got within 10 kilometres of Jerusalem and turned back, knowing that even if he won the battle, he would never win the war. The spur for such a holy quest, as if any quest requiring blood shed can be called holy, was the alignment of Jupiter with Neptune the year before. Saturn still sits over Bush’s Ascendant, attempting to teach him a lesson. His dilemma, he believes, is not of policy but public relations, hence the recent shake up of personnel, not policy. Were he to fire Rumsfeld (now with six generals against him), insiders say it would be the same as firing himself and admitting defeat....... Next week the Sun opposes Jupiter, and squares Neptune the following week. Jupiter will be hampered even more by the square to Saturn in June. Richard had the sense to turn back from a war he saw could never be won, gained respect from Saladin and his people, Richard’s own people, and history.   more »

We have invited actors and cultural celebrities to help us read some of Canada's most important literary works. We started with the Literary Review of Canada's 100 Greatest Canadian Books Ever Written, which included Obasan and we allowed the presenters to find what moved them: Sheryl McKay, CBC Radio Host of "North By Northwest" Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery; Joy Coghill, actor - Emily Carr’s "Klee Wyck"; Doris Chilcott, actor- Alden Nowlan poems; Leora Cashe, jazz gospel singer - song by Leonard Cohen; Rhonda Larrabee, chief of the Qayqayt First Nations - "Coyote and the Enemy Aliens" by Thomas King; Bill Dow, actor - “The Promised Land” by Aron Buchkowsky; Bill Dow, Manami Hara, Hiro Katagawa, Maiko Yamamoto (actors) - “Call My People Home”by Dorothy Livesay (radio documentary poem); Marion Quednau of the Writers’ Union of Canada - The significance of Kogawa House; Joy Kogawa - "Obasan"    more »

Tuesday practice MOVED to Friday April 28th
for this week only.

So... 
Friday April 28th.
Dragon Zone @ Creekside Park
- just south of Science World

6pm - If you will be arriving later - please let me know.
We should be on the water by 6:15 and hopefully we can go 90 minutes.

After the practice, I propose going to dinner at:
The Clubhouse - great Japanese food and cheap too!
then a movie... (right - can we have 20 people agree on the same movie?)

Good practice on Sunday - we continue to push the team on technique, timing and conditioning.  Still lots of happy smiling faces - this is a good sign.

Please continue to invite friends out to join the team.  We are close to having a viable 2nd team.

Cheers, Todd
604-240-7090

Storytellers spoke in both Mandarin Chinese and English, as they shared storyteller duties at the April 23 Cric Crac, organized by the Vancouver Story Tellers Association. This was a collaborative effort with the Taiwanese Cultural Society. It was a great experience to listen to each language expressed so eloquently and expressively by each storyteller. PICTURE of Pauline Wenn with puppets.   more »

Peace Forum Concert featuing Shari Ulrich
 
Meena Wong, Deb Martin, Shari Ulrich, Ellen Woodsworth, and Shari's daughter Julia - all enjoy some moments together after the concert - photo Todd Wong

The World Peace Forum featured performer Shari Ulrich who brought with her the Note Bene Choir, whom she is a member of.  The No Shit Shirleys also performed, but we missed them because we were still at the BC Book Prize soiree.  

Shari performed a fabulous concert accompanied by her 15 year old daughter Julia on violin + friend on piano.  Next she brought up the Note Bene Choir, and performed a few songs as a choir member.  Then... it was time for more Shari Ulrich.  She told stories about her songs, one of which was about her premature separation anxiety about her daughter growing up and leaving home (which she hasn't yet). 

Shari  grew up in San Francisco, and shared that after the student deaths at Kent State due to protests against the Vietnam War and civil unrest,  she decided she couldn't handle it and decided to come to Canada.  In Canada she performed music with Rick Scott (another ex-American)  and Joe Mok, as the musical trio Pied Pumkin.  She also performed with Valdy and the Hometown Band.

Shari's final song was "Wherever You Go", as the choir came back to join her.  It is my favorite Shari Ulrich song - the one that when I hear it, I always say "I really like this song."

BC Book Prize Soiree: Another wonderful party with great authors and prizes

Saturday night, April 22, at the Crush Champagne Lounge, the BC Book Prizes held their annual soiree with lots of guest authors and silent auction prizes.  Many of this year's nominated authors were in attendance and the winners will be announced next week at the Marriot Pinnacle Hotel on April 29th.  This soiree party helped to kick off BC Book and Magazine Week in Vancouver.

Click here for the Finalists for the BC Book Prizes:
http://www.bcbookprizes.ca/finalists06.htm


Stan Perskey is a finalist for the Hubert Evans non-fiction prize for his book, "The Short Version: An ABC Book."  I first met Stan while I was taking courses in Political Studies at Capilano College in the 1980's.  He was an amazing instructor, and I learned a lot about critical thinking and writing from him, as well as political activism (photo Deb Martin).



Roxanne has written an interesting book about a gay man who is Filipino and a dancer.  She is now looking for a publisher.  I told her I would introduce her to the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop (photo Deb Martin).



The BC Book Prize soiree is a great place to meet lots of interesting people.  Tini and Roxanne are a daughter-mother creative team.  Tini is a visual artist, while Roxanne writes.  Annie and Amanda are also writers who are now interested in dragon boats, since I told them about the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team.  I think I have to write a book about dragon boats now. (photo Deb Martin).

"More than 400 people showed up at a consultation in Toronto last night to give federal Heritage Minister Bev Oda an earful over the new government's Chinese head-tax redress plan."   more »

  
"Head Tax Redress is coming,"Jason Kenney and Conservative Government tells Vancouver Chinese-Canadian Community at head tax issues consultation meeting.
 

Todd Wong, Joy Kogawa, Cynthia Lam and Jason Kenney - Parliamentary Secretary on Multiculturalism.  Prior to the consultation, I introduced Kenney to Joy and Cynthia, both Order of Canada recipients - photo Albert Tsui.

"Head Tax redress is coming," promised Parliamentary Secretary on Multiculturalism Jason Kenney.  "We are not going to consult, consult and consult.  Expect an announcement in a few weeks.  And then another announcement about more details of a redress package.  The government wants to move quickly on this matter.  We will accept submissions for the next two weeks."

The atmosphere was fairly jubilant as Jason Kenney wrapped up the evening, by addressing the Chinese-Canadian community at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond BC.  Approximately 30 speakers had adressed the Parliamentary Secretary sitting beside top ranked Canadian Heritage staff including Linda Johnston, Director of BC/Yukon, Western Region.

"We are not going to make a redress package that everybody will be happy with," said Kenney in his closing remarks.  "But we will have something that includes an apology and is fair and just, and recognizes that racism was instituitional."


Sandra Chan moderates as Kenney sits with Heritage Canada regional directors, anticipating the outpouring of stories to come - photo Todd Wong

Charlie Quan and Joe Chow, both head-tax payers, were introduced to the audience to  loud applause.  Joe's son spoke about the urgency for redress, saying that his father is now 98 years old.  Charlie said that $500 in 1923 could be a small house or two, and that the equivalent should be made in compensation, suggesting a figure of $350,000.  

There was a decidedly split political view between speakers, as the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, Vancouver School Board trustee Don Lee, and the Chinese Canadian veterans took the stance to honour the Agreement-in-Principal that they had signed with the Liberal government.  Don Lee, an NCCC member, was loudly booed after he stated that he and his father did not consider themselves "victims" because of the racist legislation, and that his father had willingly paid the tax to have a better life in Canada.

One speaker said that the aborted ACE program which had initially stood for Acknowledgement, Commemoration and Education, now stood for Apology, Compensation and Exclusion - because of the government's refusal so far to recognize descendants as directly affected, limiting compensation to only head tax payers and spouses, many of whom have died in the past 20 years.

Most of the audience favoured some form of individual compensation with members of the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, the Chinese Benevolent Association, and ACCESS, all touting a 2 stage view of apology and immediate compensation for surviving head tax payers and spouses, with compensation for descendents to be negotiated next.

BC Coalition members Thekla Lit, Daniel Lee, Harvey Lee, Foon Yee, Gabriel Yui, George Jung, Bill Chu, Karin Lee and myself all spoke.  Each added different dimensions of suffering and hardship endured by the head tax payers, spouses and their descendants.  Thekla  emphasized the human rights aspects, while Harvey, Karin and Daniel emphasized the hardships on their familes.  George presented a list of known head tax payers and spouses in BC.  Bill Chu emphasized that true redress is a healing for the community, for the history, for the emotions, and that it is spiritual. 

Gabriel outlined the framework for reconciliation and asked for everybody who supported it to please stand.  About 80% to 90% of the 500 strong audience then rose to their feet and started clapping.

Sid Tan, spoke in his role as president of ACCESS, Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity.  He stated that he has worked on redress for 20 years.  He told how his grandmother had been left in China by his grandfather, because he could not bring her to Canada, and how she called him "useless," because she did not understand implications of the Exclusion Act.  Tan also criticized the NCCC for signing the AiP document which contained the preconditions of "No apology" and "No Compensation," and said that the NCCC should be ashamed of themselves.  This brought on audience calls of "Shame!" directed at the NCCC.

When it came to my turn to speak, I chose to introduce some great Asian Canadians in the audience.  I introduced Gim Wong, who rode his motorcycle across Canada from Victoria to Ottawa to ask Prime Minister Martin for an apology on head tax, but was denied a meeting, and was ignored when Martin came to Vancouver to announce the AiP.  I also introduced Cynthia Ho Lam, Order of Canada recipient, and who has worked long and hard in the Montreal community and for head tax redress.


Cynthia Ho Lam (right) speaks with Larry Chow, son of head tax payer Joe Chow.  Head Tax payer Charlie Quan is in the back ground (center) - photo Todd Wong

I gave recognition to the veterans who fought for our country, even when they couldn't vote, and introduced my Grand-Uncle Daniel Lee, who as a war veteran has recieved the highest awards for community service and merit, and who has written letters to Parliament asking for an apology each year .  It was his grand father (my great-great-grandfather) Rev. Chan Yu Tan, who had led the successful appeal for Wong Foon Sing, when he was wrongfully accuses of the Janet Smith murder in Vancouver.  I explained that in those days, the courts were so prejudiced against Chinese that the unlikely chance of being successful in court was termed "Chinaman's Chance."  I pointed out that for the last 20 years, the federal government has consistenly rebuffed calls for head tax redress, and stated we had a Chinaman's Chance for success.

I also introduced Joy Kogawa, author of Obasan, member of the Japanese Canadian redress movement of the 1980's, and Order of Canada recipient.  I stated that in my role as a member of the Save Kogawa House committee, I have learned so much about the Japanese Canadian redress process from Joy.  It is an opportunity for healing, as both the Chinese and Japanese communities have suffered such negative identities. 

"When I spoke at Vancouver City Council, asking them to help save Kogawa House, I told them that when the Japanese Canadians were interned, the Chinese were afraid that if Canada went to war with China, they could be rounded up and interned too," I addressed the panel.  "They tried their best to be 'Good Canadians' and not get into trouble.

"For our children's children, we must create the kind of world where they will never be told that they are worthless and unwanted because their grandparents had to pay a head tax, and that Canada did not want them.   For years Chinese did not have the vote or the ability to determine our lives, we need self-determination.  For head tax redress, we need self determination."


Ed Lee WW2 veteran is a good friend of my Uncle Dan.  Sitting behind us are Tekla Lit and Gabriel Yui, my friends of the BC Coalition.

As I made my way back to my seat, I shook hands with some of the veterans including my Uncle Dan and Howe Lee, as well as Raymond Leung, president of the Chinese Benevolent Association, congratulating me on a good talk.  I took my seat beside Joy Kogawa, and she also complimented me on my talk.

"This is amazing," she told me.  "There are so many people here.  We never had a community turnout like this," as she recalled the Japanese Canadian redress movement.  "This is so exciting that it is happening so quickly... there were opposing groups back then, and they would have been booed too."

Ellen Crowe-Swords, a third generation Japanese-Canadian also on our Save Kogawa House Committee, spoke after me.  I love Ellen, she like Joy, is an amazing person that recognizes the hurts still deep in the Japanese Community.  Ellen says that many people are still in denial, and refuse to believe that they were victimized in the process.

"I saw what the redress issue did to the Japanese community," stated Ellen, "It divided the community.  It's important for you to work together and promote healing."

"But I have to tell you something,"Ellen shared with the audience, "When I recieved my $22,000... it sure felt good!"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NAMES OF CHINESE HEAD TAX PAYERS DELIVERED

TO MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE

TORONTO/VANCOUVER, April 21, 2006 – Chinese Canadians welcome direct consultations with Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Government on an apology and appropriate redress for 62 years of legislated racism under the Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Tonight, Minister of Canadian Heritage Bev Oda will meet with Chinese Canadian families who were affected by the Head Tax and Exclusion Act at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.

On the West Coast, Parliamentary Secretary on Multiculturalism Jason Kenney will hold a similar meeting at the Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road, in Richmond, B.C., from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.
          
Several hundred people are expected to attend each event in Toronto and in Richmond where Chinese Canadians will be invited to tell their stories. “There has been a groundswell of support for redress and for these consultations after so many years of injustice and struggle to right this historic wrong,” says Avvy Go, Legal Counsel for the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families (Ontario Coalition).
          
“Since the Throne Speech, when the Prime Minister promised a Parliamentary apology for the Head Tax, we have been overwhelmed with calls from surviving Head Tax payers, their spouses and families,” says Victor Wong, Executive Director of the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC).

“Many holders of Head Tax certificates have left their contact information with us and we will be delivering their contact information to the Government during these cross-country consultations,” Wong added.
          
Since last fall in Ontario alone, the Ontario Coalition and CCNC national office have received updated information from nearly 400 people who were affected by the Head Tax (1885-1923) and Exclusion Act (1923-1947), including six surviving Head Tax payers – aged 98 to 106 years old – and 59 surviving spouses.
          
The B.C. Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendents and the Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity (ACCESS) in Vancouver have collected 200 names, including 2 head tax payers and 33 surviving spouses and will also pass the information on to the Government.
         
“It’s a measure of the Government’s commitment to not only deal with the few surviving Head Tax Payers and spouses on an urgent basis but also hear from all those directly affected by this historic injustice that they are now willing to directly consult with the Chinese Canadian community on appropriate redress,” says Susan Eng, Co-Chair of the Ontario Coalition. “It is also in line with the Framework for Reconciliation proposed by our organizations so we are very hopeful that there will be a resolution by July 1^st.”
 
“We have committed to helping the government reach Head Tax families by immediately delivering all contact information given to us and remind the community that no community organization has any official status to collect or register names. People may contact Canadian Heritage directly.” added Eng. “Once we know the exact government office responsible for receiving this information, we will post it on our web site: www.headtaxredress.org .”
          

          
–30–

 

For more information, please contact:

Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families
Susan Eng, Co-Chair, (416) 960-0312 (Toronto); (647) 988-3595 cell
Avvy Go, Legal Counsel, (416) 971-9674 (Toronto); (647) 271-9357 cell
George Lau, Co-Chair (416) 588-1751 (Toronto)
Yew Lee, Co-Chair, (819) 827-3357 (Ottawa)
 
Chinese Canadian National Council
Dr. Joseph Wong, CCNC Founding President, (416) 806-0082 (Toronto)
Colleen Hua, National President, (647) 299-1775 (Toronto)
Victor Wong, Executive Director, (416) 977-9871 (Toronto); (647) 285-2262 cell      

BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants
Gabriel Yiu, Chinese-language spokesperson (604) 889-0696 (Vancouver)
Karin Lee, English-language spokesperson (778) 773-1088 (Vancouver)
Harvey Lee, English-language spokesperson (604) 254-7137 (Vancouver) 

Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity
Sid Tan, President/ CCNC National Director, (604) 783-1853 (Vancouver)

Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance
William Dere (514) 488-0804 (Montreal)
Walter Tom (514) 341-3929 (Montreal)

 

Edmonton Chinese HTEA Redress Committee

Kenda Gee, Chair, (780) 487-3536 (Edmonton)

 
Sien Lok Society of Calgary
Raymond Lee, Past President, (403) 288-3903 (Calgary)

 
Saskatchewan Chinese Head Tax Redress Committee
Sam Gee, Chair, (306) 586-7579 (Regina)
Choon Yong, Vice-Chair, (306) 586-9663 (Regina)

Halifax Chinese Redress Committee
May Lui, Chairperson, (902) 423-7802

 
For details on the Framework for Reconciliation and background news articles, please visit our website at: www.headtaxredress.org

 

A Daughter ‘s Sorrow

by    Rebecca Tam – Granddaughter of a Head Tax payer

Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Hong Kong in the 1960’s, there was nothing I worried more about than the sight of the postman trotting down our street with the mail in his hands.

The scene that followed was all too familiar to all of us: Mom would sign for the registered mail and the postman would hand over a thick letter from Canada to her.  Mom would go into her room, open the letter and sob while she read and re-read carefully every single line from her parents who were living in Canada. My mom clung to every word in those letters as if her very own existence depended on it. And who could blame her? Only through these words and scenes that were described in these bi-weekly letters, was she able to get a glimpse of what life would be like with a father and a mother. She could hardly imagine what life would like with a dad. My mom had not seen my grandpa since the day she was born.

I was born in Macau, but my grandparents were from Canton, China. Both of my grandfathers went to North America hoping to better themselves and find gainful employment overseas. In fact, my maternal great-grandfather came to work in Canada and grandfather followed him.

Grandpa landed in Vancouver, on April 18, 1918, paying the $500.00 head tax upon stepping on to Canadian soil. He was 15 years old, a young man eager to work, learn and start a new life in the land of milk and honey. However, life was not easy in this strange new land. Chinese workers were discriminated against and employment opportunities were limited to difficult jobs with long hours, generally unwanted menial labour or dangerous jobs, such as laundry workers, domestic servants and railroad workers.

Grandpa worked extremely hard and after years of labouring in Canada, he was able to save enough money to go back to China in 1925 where he found himself a blushing young bride. Grandpa sailed across the Pacific Ocean; he and Grandma were married that year in China. Grandpa might have had a premonition of the political events to come for he stayed as long as he could with his new bride. The new couple had a long honeymoon and Grandpa stayed almost a year in China after the wedding.

My grandpa left China for Canada in 1926, shortly after my mother was born.  After returning to Canada, Grandpa spent every ounce of his energy and waking moments working, trying to save enough money to bring his new wife and baby daughter to Canada. He spent a lot of time and money travelling to town to see the lawyers and he made numerous appeals to his M.P. asking for help, but all to no avail.

1923 – 1947 – The darkest period in Canada’s history when our government openly and legally discriminated against Chinese immigrants.  Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, there was no way for Grandpa or any Chinese person living in Canada to bring family members to Canada during this more than 20 year period.

Grandpa was a very determined hard worker. His dream was to be reunited with his family to provide for them. Even with the very limited opportunities afforded to Chinese workers at the time, Grandpa was able to find employment and save enough money to open his own restaurant in Bearmore, Ontario. He consistently sent letters and money to China to support and care for his wife and daughter. Meanwhile, my mother was growing up fatherless in China. Her constant and only hope since childhood was that one day she would meet her father and get to know him, a wonderful, generous and caring man, as everyone who knew Grandpa kept telling her.

My parents got married in 1945. But there was no possibility for my mother or any one of us to immigrate to Canada.

After WWII, the Chinese Exclusion Act was finally abolished in 1947. Grandpa was granted full Canadian citizenship on February 5, 1952. He could now apply to bring his family to Canada.

After a separation of 27 years from her husband, having raised her only daughter on her own, and going through many red tapes, Grandma was finally allowed to come and join Grandpa in Canada in 1953.

I could never imagine what was going through Grandpa and Grandma’s mind when they met each other again. The last time they saw each other, they were a newly married couple. The second time they saw each other again, they were grandparents themselves with grey hair.

How much suffering and loneliness had they endured? How many possible happy memories and precious time had been stolen from them in these 27 years?

Unfortunately, my Grandparents were not to be reunited with their family due to further immigration restrictions. My mother, who was then 26 years old, a married woman with children of her own, was not allowed to come to Canada. The reason: she was an adult, no longer a dependent, therefore, she was not qualified to come as a dependent child.

Again, the letters went back and forth between Canada and Hong Kong – still the only link between Grandpa and Mom. More tears were shed every time when the postman arrived.  Grandpa kept trying to bring us to Canada and to fulfill his life-long dream of seeing his only daughter and now his 7 grandchildren as well.  However, the immigration process was not going smoothly even though by then Grandpa was very well established in the community and was a proud owner of a very successful restaurant employing many workers.

The Canadian Government started to open the doors to non-European immigrants in 1967 when we could apply as a family to immigrate to Canada. However, the selection process was lengthy and the criteria were strenuous.

Finally, we received news at the beginning of 1971 that our whole family, all nine of us, had been granted immigrant status. There was a lot of excitement preparing for our move to Canada. My mother was bubbly, elated and hardly able to contain her girlish anticipation and happiness of meeting her father at last for the first time. “Oh, there is so much catching up to do! And your Grandpa will spoil you children rotten since he has never had a chance to play with his only child. But he will have all 7 grandchildren to play with!”  Mom was sharing her happiness with us as our family prepared our move to Canada in July, allowing us to finish school in June.

1971 - A day in March, the saddest day in our family history. The postman came and the familiar scene repeated for the umpteenth time. Except this time, within minutes after Mom went into her room, she let out the most horrifying and ear piercing wailing I had ever heard.  My mother was sobbing uncontrollably. My Dad and my older siblings went into her room to find out what had happened.  More crying and sobbing came from the rest of my family. Oh, my God, what had happened? Why was everyone crying as if the sky had fallen?

“Your grandfather had a heart attack