Judy Vancouver, British Columbia

Fair address: Vancouver Heritage Fair

Project: Chinese Immigration to Canada

Chinese immigrants have helped shape Canada, yet they have endured endless struggles in order to become truly Canadian. In my video, I will be talking about the history of these Chinese immigrants and why learning about their history is important for our society.

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

One interesting thing I learned during my research is the struggle regarding language for the majority of Mandarin speaking immigrants who had come to Canada recently. This language struggle has blocked these immigrants from participating in the society. Therefore I think that we should really push the fact that you have to learn English for that is one of the most important parts of participating in a society.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

The stories of these Chinese immigrants have taught us to cherish the fact that we get to live in a free country where, even though, there is still racism everyday, but that nowadays, no one is restricted from participating in the society. Another lesson would be teaching us to always stand strong and pull through no matter how much prejudice or discrimination you face.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

First off, my life is so much better than those of the Chinese immigrants that I studied for I have the right to become a Canadian citizen and to also be regarded as one. At that time, being a Chinese-Canadian was a disability, but be proud that I am Chinese-Canadian.