What We Will Not Leave Behind
(working title)
Project Description
What We Will Not Leave Behind (2022) is an ongoing research creation project using hand-drawn and cutouts animation to document personal histories of Chinese diaspora in Nova Scotia through generations. This suite of animation videos was based on conversations with four Chinese Nova Scotians during a community based research I undertook in 2021, with support from Wonder’neath Art Society through funding from the Canada Council for the Arts. Participants' experiences referenced four pivotal moments of Chinese immigration history in so-called Canada: CPR railway workers (1890s), the exodus from Shanghai (1940s), the handover of Hong Kong (1990s) and the boom in international students (2000s). In 2022, I have continued to seek out opportunities to have conversations with Chinese-identifying community members, with a focus on folks who are on temporary immigration status.
My intention behind this film is two-fold: First, maritime chinese voices are relatively scarce in historical records and contemporary dialogues hosted by and with chinese communities across Canada. I want to map out a visual narrative that connects the rich array of chinese diaspora experiences here in Nova Scotia; secondly, over the last twelve years, I have time and again found myself as a token of the ‘chinese experience” or a stereotype in mainstream imagination. I want to bring light back on the ordinary yet precious things that make us human.
My process began with conversations with four individuals of chinese descent in Halifax. These conversations began from my curiosity in how chinese diaspora adapt and/or modify certain behaviours as we navigate life in a small maritime province. Each conversation unfolded in vastly different ways: from railroad workers searching for their “Gold Mountain”, to watching the coastline of Shanghai from the SS President Wilson, to compromised communication between parent and child, to spending the first year in Nova Scotia during COVID-19.
The content from each conversation will be processed through field notes and animated compositions. These materials will be presented on the Wonder’neath website along with my research process in October 2021. This research creation process will continue beyond this timeline to inform the visual and thematic development of the film.
Context
The first group of Chinese immigrants relocated to Nova Scotia in 18951 from western Canada. Most of them had worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway and had been dismissed after the project was complete. As Chinese were heavily discriminated against in the job market, the workers had no choice but to turn to the only occupations available: hand laundries and restaurants. By 1900, more Chinese people began to arrive directly from Southern China (mainly Guangdong province) due to famine and civil unrest in mainland China. Upon arrival, they were connected to work at existing Chinese-run businesses through family or clan relations. Dissimilar to areas with established Chinese communities such as Westminster and Vancouver, early Chinese immigrants in Nova Scotia were able to set up shop with little geographic restrictions. They were not, however, spared from the lasting impact of the Head Tax (1885-1923) and lived through those years with little support and opportunities. In 1919-1920, two racist riots targeting Chinese immigrants took place in downtown Halifax and the North End bringing about an upsurge of explicit anti-Chinese sentiments and violence in Nova Scotia2. In 1923, the Chinese Immigration Act replaced the Head Tax further restricting the movement of Chinese immigration until 1947. It was not until the early 1950s when surviving members of these generations of immigrants were finally able to reunite with their families.
Over the last century, Nova Scotia’s chinese population has grown from 106 to 86403 with another 30004 or so arriving each year as international students. Around 2010, Nova Scotia, along with the rest of Atlantic Canada began to catch interest from prospective immigrants in mainland China. This wave of immigrants arrived with education, network and wealth and saw Nova Scotia as a place with “clean air, small population and opportunities for growth”5. In 2016, the Nova Scotia Government identified parts of China's southern coast as a strategic priority for trade and tourism. In 2019, the province announced two direct charter flights between Guangdong and Halifax to be launched in 2020 that would create a “direct link” from China’s southern coast into Nova Scotia. The announcement referred to this plan as an opportunity to demonstrate the province as a “marketplace” with the hope of increasing the annual number of Chinese tourists to 50,0006 by 20247.
COVID-19 exacerbated the anti-Chinese sentiments across North America, for better or worse, bringing about growing demand to hear from maritime Chinese communities. Participation in a recent CBC interview8 responding to the shooting in Atlanta (April 8th, 2021) alerted me to the absence of our voices. I began to realize that our voices can stand up to but also be exploited to perpetuate stereotypes, institutional power, and biases toward the local Chinese diaspora. Around the same time, I tuned in to Whose Chinatown9 a virtual conference hosted by Griffin Art Project. This was my first time hearing a multigenerational dialogue with Chinese communities in Vancouver, Alberta and Toronto reimagining the future of their communities.
Alongside other racialized groups in Nova Scotia, the Chinese community is growing and gaining diversity from diaspora of all immigration backgrounds. Yet, Nova Scotia remains a small province with a predominantly white population. The Chinese community is still in the early stages of buildinga regional and national presence. This province presents unique challenges and potential for the diaspora to navigate identity(ies) and place.
The Conversations
I had conversations with four individuals: Albert Lee, Theresa Chu, Jack Wong and Lem Lian. Their ages range from 26 to 97 years old. Our conversations connect four waves of Chinese Canadian immigrantion spanning more than a century: Southern Chinese workers arriving to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway (1880s), refugees fleeing from Shanghai during the chinese civil war (1930-40s), the mass migration prior to the handover of Hong Kong (1990s) and mainland chinese students arriving in Canada to pursuit academic training (2000s-).
Albert Lee
I first came to know Albert in 2019 when he gave a walking tour of Chinese-Canadian history in Halifax through Jane’s Walk. Incidentally, I had just become aware of the 1919 Anti-Chinese Riot that took place in the North End and Downtown Halifax. Though I couldn’t attend the tour, I was intrigued to discover that Chinese people have a history here.
I approached Albert because he is an elder of the local Chinese community. He has dedicated much of his career to researching, documenting and sharing Maritime Chinese history. I was initially nervous that my project would look naive to him as my interest in the maritime Chinese diaspora is still young and our experiences as Chinese are vastly different. Lucily, Albert agreed to meet, not only once but three times!
Our first conversation took place at the Halifax Public Gardens where he spends many mornings doing film photography. Albert shared stories about early Chinese workers settlement, his family’s history, and his observations of recent Chinese immigrants. In subsequent conversations, I learnt that many early Chinese workers bore the hope of finding “streets paved with gold”, and instead were faced with a harsh life filled with isolation, poverty and racism. In comparison, recent Chinese immigrants, who arrive with education, network and wealth, enjoy Nova Scotia for its “less crowd and clean air”. Throughout our conversations, Albert used the word Chinese as if he was looking at China from both first and third person. It makes me realize that “Chinese” is not the same as “China”. Nationality, traditions or family connections are not always the same as identity.
We talked about how important it is to document our history. The lack of historical awareness gives way for stereotypes to perpetuate, which subject younger generations to continued biases and assumptions. Albert referred to his experience with racism in Nova Scotia as “polite racism”, an attitude that is under the surface. “They try to be nice and to relate”. When asked if he has adapted or modified himself to navigate his surroundings, he answered that he has had to speak up and protect his voice and knowledge over the years. More importantly, “we need to see folks at the policy-making table.”
Theresa Chu
I first met Theresa in 2016 through my mentor and former professor Mary Evans. The bulk of our conversations took place over email as she put it “I tend to THINK of these issues and express my views in writing ”.
I reached out to Theresa for a few reasons: Both of us were born in mainland China but over 70 years apart. We both came to Nova Scotia, I at 18 and she at 80. At age 97, she is one of the eldest members of the Nova Scotia Chinese diaspora.
Theresa was born in Shanghai in 1924. At that time, China was going through a turbulent time: colonialism had been persisting since the mid-1800s, the second Sino-Japanese war (1945) had ended three years ago, and the Chinese Civil War was at its height. Theresa joined the Society of Sacred Heart and departed from China as a novice in 1948, one year before the Chinese Communist Party secured its control over mainland China. She described her memory on board the SS president wilson10 and watched the coastline of Shanghai receding as “feeling quite strange to see my country from outside”.
I chose to respond to Theresa’s childhood memories. “Walking on the streets of Shanghai, I tried not to step on spit while beggars grabbed my qipao for money; long summer days where my sister her and I invented a game of counting red socks - a women’s fashion trend at the time - whoever saw a new pair would gain a mark; playing hopscotch in their tiny school year while cicadas made demanding noises.”11
Despite our age difference and upbringing, our childhoods have a lot in common. We share fond memories of street food like roasted chestnuts (红炒栗子) and roasted sweet potatoes (烤紅薯). As Theresa recalled “we all rush out to buy hua sheng mi (fried peanuts), chestnuts or hot sweet potatoes baked in a movable roast oven. I also remember the excitement when we rushed out of the door and lined up to buy the chestnuts. The seller usually wraps the things in a piece of old newspaper. At least, you and I shared that kind of experience!”
Our other common experience in her words is “encounter with the west”. We both remember the feeling of seeking acceptance from others, namely, peers and authority figures in our early years out of China. She was afraid of falling behind in terms of the language and the assumption that people might look down on her. Similarly, I was one of the only minority students at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. It helped me "assimilate" and learn English quickly, but it disconnected me from my language and traditions. Theresa concluded, “In all fairness, I was treated as an equal in my adult life, so any tension that was in me would have come from within myself. That’s what I mean by internalization of racism.”.
Jack Wong
I first met Jack in 2010 during our first year at NSCAD University. At the time, I was curious and shocked as we seemed to be some of the only Asian students at the school. We have remained close friends over the last decade but as I said to him, this is the first time we have had extensive conversations about his experiences as a member of the Chinese diaspora.
Jack described himself as an “awkward kid”. He moved to Richmond, BC with his family at the age of 6. He was aware that coming to Canada was a new beginning12. His family arrived 3 years before the major influx of Hong Kong residents into Canada - a direct result of the “Handover of Hong Kong” in 1997. Because of his family’s early arrival, Jack spent the first few years in Canada with few peers who spoke Cantonese. As a result, he learnt English within the first six months and has since identified it as his first language. He recalled feeling proud when his teacher announced to the class that he was the first in his group to complete ESL and was ready to join regular classes (he expressed, however, he does feel strange about this now). In comparison, children who came during the peak of the wave required a much longer period adjusting to the new language and adopting it at a first language level.
The phrase “new beginning” stayed with me. I chose to respond to one of Jack’s earliest memories after moving to Canada: biking in his suburb. He recalls his neighbourhood as “lots of space, new and exciting”. He jokingly added that he remembered the “sound of an old sibling shouting instructions at me”. “We were on a quiet street,” he said, he remembers the ambient sounds of his sister, parents, basketball bouncing, ice cream truck and a barking German shepherd in the background. 13
Our conversations always funnelled back to language. In some ways, having English as his first Language has “compromised”14 his communication with his family. He feels that his level of Cantonese and his mother’s level of English seem to form a barrier between their communication. He often finds himself unable to find the right words to express his emotions. Although he speaks with no accent, he finds that his Cantonese accent tends to slip out when he feels tense or nervous. To him, the main difference between Nova Scotia and B.C. is having to navigate cultural assumptions on a daily basis. Having spent more than a decade here, he still feels the need to be more “chatty” with a cashier so that others do not assume that he could not speak English.
Jack is currently working on his next children’s book about a father and daughter who immigrated from Hong Kong. He hopes his story will shift the perspective on the immigrant parents who are not fluent in English but still find wonderful ways to support their children.
Lem Lian
Lem and I met through Becka Barker, a filmmaker, curator and educator who introduced me to the world of animation. Lem is three years younger than me. She arrived in Fall 2019 from Tangshan, China. Shortly after her first semester at the East Coast Language School in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia went into pandemic lockdown. Similar to many international students impacted by the pandemic, Lem’s first year and a half in Nova Scotia was spent with her homestay family, on social media, online classes at NSCAD, dating apps and a handful of acquaintances in her language program.
Our first conversation took place on ZOOM. At the time, she was excited to get to know the city once it opened up. In many ways, our conversation reminded me of my early years in Halifax. We shared the experience of switching back and forth between identities, pretending you are a part of this new culture until you “make” it. We had a good laugh talking about her exposure to “North American” food - how she dislikes pizza, how sharp the sauerkraut tastes compared to China, and how she is not sure about chilli!
We both attended English Language School which is a prerequisite for international students before university entry. To my surprise, our conversation touched on a common observation where international students, often young women, can be easily taken advantage of by authority figures and more experienced peers encountered in their early years. Tuitions from mainland Chinese students are amongst the highest sources of revenue earned by language schools and academic institutions in the province. Other than whisper networks among students, there has been little effort or supportive network available to take care of the mental health of newly-arrived students who are often youth in need of guidance. This is a subject I would like to explore in the future.
On the topic of adjusting herself to navigate local culture, Lem is “perplexed and frustrated”15 by differences she observed in the way people think. For example, during a class critique, every decision that goes into an artwork might require an explanation. She feels that not everything can be or needs to be explained, and meanings can be flattened, become didactic or limited by words - a value often found in traditional east asian paintings and poetry.
The animation piece was based on our afternoon together making Donkey rolls (驴打滚) - a sweet northern chinese dessert made out of glutinous rice, red bean paste dusted with soy bean powder. That was my first afternoon making food with a peer from mainland China, an experience I have not had since 2009.
Lem is an award-winning illustration artist and is now pursuing a diploma in culinary management at NSCC.
ENDNOTES
1. Cui, Xiang. The Occupational Changes Of Chinese Immigrants In Canada With Specific Reference To Halifax, Nova Scotia 1885-1923. Saint Mary's University, 2003.
2. Zemel, Joel. “HalifaxYesterday : The 1919 Anti-Chinese Riots.” HalifaxToday.Ca, 26 Oct. 2020, https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/halifaxyesterday/halifaxyesterday-the-1919-anti-chinese-riots-2822141?fbclid=IwAR3hXiQ7xvm5WbmXOvBvimFcCj_bFOBGGgYc9h_dQ-wmXXHj1AOfTM51QFA.
3. “Census Profile, 2016 Census.” Halifax [Population Centre], Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia [Province], https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=0348&Geo2=PR&Code2=12&SearchText=Halifax&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=0348&TABID=1&type=0. Accessed 15 Oct. 2021.
4. Province of Nova Scotia. Partnering for Success: The Nova Scotia – China Engagement Strategy. Apr. 2016.
5. Lee, Albert. Conversation at the Halifax Public Gardens. Interview by Jenny Yujia Shi, 17 June 2021.
6. Parsons, Jack. “Two Direct Charter Flights from China Coming to Halifax next Year.” HalifaxToday.Ca, 5 Dec. 2019, https://www.halifaxtoday.ca/local-news/two-direct-charter-flights-from-china-coming-to-halifax-next-year-1913458.
7. The China Strategic Plan report was launched in 2016 followed by the announcement of chartered flights made by Stephen MacNeil’s government in 2019. I chose to include this information to show the stark contrast between the political, economic and social climate that housed the early and recent chinese immigrants. This information does not reflect the impact of COVID-19 and the recent changes in Canada-China relations. No further information has been released by the province in regards to changes to this strategic direction.
8. “Chinese Nova Scotians Speak out about Anti-Asian Racism in Wake of Atlanta Shootings.” CBC, 12 Apr. 2021, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/anti-asian-racism-nova-scotia-panel-information-morning-atlanta-shootings-1.5984367.
9. “Whose Chinatown? – 2021 — Griffin Art Projects.” Griffin Art Projects, https://www.griffinartprojects.ca/exhibitions/whose-chinatown. Accessed 15 Oct. 2021.
10. The SS President Wilson was an commercial passenger vessel built in 1944 as part of the American President Lines
11. Chu, Theresa. Excerpt from Email. Interview by Jenny Yujia Shi, 27 June 2021.
12. Wong, Jack. Conversation on Pleasant St. Dartmouth. Interview by Jenny Yujia Shi, 19 June.
13. Wong, Jack. Excerpt from Facebook Message. Interview by Jenny Yujia Shi, 2 September.
14. Wong, Jack. Conversation on Pleasant St. Dartmouth. Interview by Jenny Yujia Shi, 19 June.
15. Lian, Lem. Conversation at Wooden Monkey in Dartmouth. Interview by Jenny Yujia Shi, 15 June 2021.
16. Lee, Albert. Conversation at the Halifax Public Gardens. Interview by Jenny Yujia Shi, 17 June 2021.
Acknowledgement
I acknowledge that my art practice takes place on the unceded territories of the Mi’kmaq people. I am grateful for indiengous people who greeted early chinese immigrants as “kins”, provided them shelter, and exchanged knowledge of ancient astrology and herbal medicine16. Your generosity and our historical connection inspires me to continue my work on Mi'kma'ki. I acknowledge the support of Wonder’neath Art Society with funding from Canada Council for the Arts and NSCAD University for the opportunity to dive into new research. I am humbled to continue responding to lived experiences and intergenerational knowledge with visual language. I acknowledge the contribution and sacrifice of early Chinese immigrants who lived through isolation, separation, poverty, institutionalized racism and injustice. You blazed the trail for those of us who came after. Last but not least, I give my sincere gratitude to the following individuals who opened their hearts to me and breathed life into my imagery:
Theresa Chu
Albert Lee
Jack Wong
Lem Lian