Item 1 - Interview of Yoke Yee Chong

98.6 MB (1 file) : mp3 ; 0 hr., 43 min., 4 sec.

Audio recording of interview with Yoke Yee Chong conducted by Vivienne Poy and Paul Chan (interpreter) in Victoria, B.C. Interview mainly in Hoy Ping dialect and Cantonese.

From Transcripts [Extended notes] compiled by Vivienne Poy:

Yo Ke Yee Chong (paper bride) immigrated in 1952, interviewed in Victoria

• Born in Hoiping

• As the family was very poor, she didn’t have much chance for an education, and only attended school for a few years. Her father was working in the Philippines, and because of the war, he wasn’t able to send money back to them in China. They were still luckier than others because they had enough to eat.

• Immigrated to Canada at age 22, 1952. Husband was Canadian born. The marriage was arranged. She had never met her husband before, but her mother had. This was his second marriage.

• Husband’s 1st marriage - he was sent back to China at age 15 to get a wife. He refused at first, but was finally married at age 17, and became a father at 18. Because of the Exclusion Act, his wife was not allowed to come to Canada. After the War and the repeal of the Exclusion Act, some time in 1946-47, he applied to bring his wife and children to Canada. However, in 1951, she died.

• After the first wife died, he sent money back to China to ask a marriage broker to help him to find a wife. 1951 was soon after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, and many Chinese were looking for a way out of of the country. For the women, one way was to be a picture bride to Gum San. That’s why many women or their families sent their photos to the marriage broker. The husband wanted someone who is tall and strong. Mrs. Chong said that she was picked not only was she the prettiest, she was also tall, taller her future husband.

• After Mrs. Chong was picked, she went to Hong Kong to await further news. At that time, it was still easy to get to Hong Kong from China. Mr. Chong sent money for her up-keep as well as for her immigration to Canada. she received letters, sometimes once a week, and sometimes once every two weeks. It took a total of 9 months before she was granted immigrant status.

• Everyone was surprised that she never had a personal interview with the immigration officer.

• Mrs. Chong’s understanding was that she was not given immigrant status because she was a picture bride, but because the children of her future husband needed someone to look after them. His youngest daughter had to be given away for someone to care for her because he couldn’t manage. She believes that the immigration officer was sympathetic to the children.

• A deposit had to be given before Mrs. Chong was allowed to come to Canada, which guaranteed that, when she met her future husband, if either of them decided not to marry, there would be enough money for her to go back to China. Mrs. Chong then had her medical, and her future husband bought her a boat ticket.

• In order to get into Canada, could a person get married, and once become landed, divorce? - it seemed that it was very difficult to get divorces until Trudeau’s time.

• The ticket Mr. Chong bought was for a bed in an eight-bedded room on the boat, which cost $400.00. But Mrs. Chong ended up in a thirty-bedded room (with many bunks), and she was happy to receive a refund of $50.00. The boat went to San Francisco (no boats traveled directly to Vancouver at that time), and the trip took 18 days. To get to Vancouver, she had to take a train for 2 days. With Victoria as her final destination, she took a six-hour boat trip from Vancouver. ( There were only two trips per day, one in the morning and one at 11 pm at night.) Mrs. Chong took the night boat.

• The age difference between Mrs. Chong and her husband was 13 years.

• Mrs. Chong left Hong Kong on Nov. 7. The marriage took place at a church in Victoria on Jan. 3. The first daughter was born in November 1953.

• Mr. Chong worked as a welder in ship-building from 4pm to 11 pm. During the day, he had a shop repairing shoes. Mrs. Chong helped him at the shop until the birth of their 3rd child. He had 3 children from his first wife and five with Mrs. Chong. She was very busy looking after all of them. She said life was difficult then, not like it is now.

• There were very few Chinese in Victoria at that time. Most of the men who could send for a wife were old. Many of them were not able to to bring a “paper wife” or “fiancée” until at least 1954-6, so Mrs. Chong’s immigration in 1952 was a very special case.

• Mrs. Chong felt that life is so much better for this present generation. Everyone has the chance to go to university. Of her five children, she mentioned that one son is a policeman and the youngest daughter is an MLA in Victoria.

• In the old days, you couldn’t just go out for dim sum. If you wanted any, you have to phone someone who knows how to make them, who will make them for you. These are then taken home to be cooked yourself.

• Mrs. Chong did not feel discriminated herself, but her husband, who was born in Cumberland, told her stories of fights between the whites and the Chinese, and how the minister stopped the fights.

• She felt very fortunate being in Canada. Reflecting back, it was like winning a lottery, since everyone wanted to come to Gum San.

• Her first trip back to Hong Kong was in 1957 when she saw how difficult life was for the majority of the people there. There were refugees everywhere, and couldn’t find work. Women were on the side of the streets mending nylon stockings, and if they had work, they were lucky to make $10 HK a day. Many lived in crowded rooms with bunk beds shared by families. In 1971, she went to Hong Kong and the Philippines. In 1977, she went back to the village in China with her husband and she saw that people didn’t have much to eat.

• Mrs. Chong had no religion, only ancestral worship. She didn’t have much of a chance to learn English, and still only speak the village dialect.