The School Room

All Episodes (7)

From new to old

From new to old From old to new

1. 

   1. Gordon Jin | Another Chinese Head Tax? The 1906 Newfoundland Chinese Immigration Act

   For many, Newfoundland is not usually the first place that comes to mind when thinking of the Chinese Canadian diaspora. While Canada and the United States closed their doors to Chinese immigration until the 1940s, Newfoundland, still a British colony, was the last place in North America to remain open to Chinese, albeit immigration came with a hefty head tax as an entry fee.Gordon Jin, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Head Tax Redress Organization, joins The School Room to discuss the

   Apr 18,2024 23:29
2. 

   2. Arlene Chan | Generational Activism: Documenting Chinese Canadian Belonging

   What does it mean to serve your community? On this International Women’s Day special episode, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee sits down with Arlene Chan, author, historian, activist, and daughter of Jean Lumb – the first Chinese Canadian woman to be inducted into the Order of Canada for her own community activism. Tune in to learn about the work these two generations of women have undertaken for the Chinese Canadian community at large, the evolution of Toronto’s Chinatowns, and what it was like to s

   Mar 07,2024 30:33
3. 

   3. William Ping | The Newfoundland Paper Trail: Tracing Heritage Through Food and Writing

   What do a photo album restaurant directory, steamed broccoli, and an autofiction novel have in common? All three were used by William Ping in reconnecting with his late grandfather, William Ping Sr, who was one of about 300 Chinese men to settle in Newfoundland when the Newfoundland Chinese head tax was in effect. On this month’s episode, William Ping, CBC journalist and author of Hollow Bamboo, talks tracing family history and the St. John’s culinary scene with host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee.Curio

   Feb 16,2024 18:02
4. 

   4. Julie Eng | Magical Legacies: The Life of Tony Eng

   Chinese Canadian magician Tony Eng (1946-2008) was a beloved fixture in the Victoria, B.C. bar, restaurant, and entertainment scene for more than thirty years. His long list of accomplishments include running his own magic shop that was frequented by locals and tourists alike, establishing his unique magic show that drew inspiration from his Chinese heritage, and mentoring successive generations of up-and-coming magicians. On this episode, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee sits down with one of Tony’s

   Jan 24,2024 23:00
5. 

   5. Mel Yip | Before it was a Museum: Stories from the Wing Sang Building

   Though museums typically house pieces of history, rarely are museums themselves housed within historic buildings. The Chinese Canadian Museum is a unique exception to this with its location inside the Wing Sang Building, the oldest brick building in Vancouver Chinatown and a heritage building listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. On this episode, join host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee as she chats with Mel Yip— grandson of the man who established the Wing Sang Building and resided in the

   Dec 21,2023 27:41
6. 

   6. Rick Wong | War Tales: Force 136 and a Clandestine Love Story

   During World War II, thirteen Chinese Canadian men were hand-picked to serve as the first recruits of Force 136, a British Special Operations Executive unit whose mission was to blend in and infiltrate enemy lines in Japanese-occupied Southeast Asia. On this Remembrance Day special episode, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee is joined by Rick Wong, whose father, Henry "Hank" Wong, was one of the original members of Force 136, and mother, Myrtle Wong, was one of the few Chinese allowed to enter Canada w

   Nov 10,2023 29:17
7. 

   7. Catherine Clement | The Paper Trail: A Story of Chinese Exclusion

   In this inaugural episode of The School Room, the podcast of the Chinese Canadian Museum, host Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee sits down with curator Catherine Clement to discuss her exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act.To learn more about the Chinese Canadian Museum and book tickets, visit https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/.

   Oct 27,2023 32:21