Item 20 - Interview of Yu Shuk Han

34.7 MB (1 file) : mp3 ; 0 hr., 15 min., 10 sec.

Audio recording of interview with Yu Shuk Han conducted by Vivienne Poy in Scarborough, ON. Interview conducted in Cantonese.

From Transcripts [Extended notes] compiled by Vivienne Poy:

Yu Shuk Han (family class - dependent of son) 1980, interviewed in Toronto

• Born in Macao, educated in Macao. She felt that the Portuguese were oppressive to the Chinese, so she refused to learn Portuguese. She spent her youth helping her parents in their restaurant business.
• She got married in 1945, at the end of the 2nd World War. During the war, the conditions in Macao was a lot better than Hong Kong. She had 5 children. Her husband worked on shipping lines. Later, he worked in [restaurants].
• When her children were a bit older, she went to work for relatives. At first, she worked in a theater, which lasted for quite a while, and then she went to work with an import-export company, exporting goods from China, which was also owned by relatives.
• In 1960s, there were riots in Macao, spilt over from the terrible political conditions in China (these riots preceded the ones in Hong Kong). And because she felt that it was unsafe to stay in Macao, she sent her children to school in Hong Kong. At that time, her eldest daughter was in her teens. After high school , she went into nursing and worked at Queen Mary’s Hosp. In 1968, she wanted to immigrate to Canada.
• 1969, the second son graduated from high school. In the mean time, riots had also spilled over to Hong Kong from China. Mrs. Yu felt it was time to plan for the family to go abroad. She had thought of U.S., but after talking to friends and relatives, she thought Canada would be a better place to live. The second son applied to come to Canada on a student visa to study Electrical Engineering.
• In 1970, Trudeau became Prime Minister. Immigration regulations were changed so that foreign students in Canada could become landed immigrants.
  Her son applied [immediately].
• When the third son graduated from high school, he also applied to come to Canada. He went to Ottawa. The same happened to the fourth son, and Mrs. Yu was left in Hong Kong with her youngest daughter. During that time, her husband died. Her second son applied for the rest of the family to immigrate to Canada in 1979.
• Mrs. Yu came as family class immigrant with her daughter in 1980. It was very easy, and it took less than a year before she was granted landed immigrant status. She was very happy to be with all her family again, and to know that Canada is a more peaceful society than Hong Kong.
• Even though she had a good job in Hong Kong and was making a good income, she didn’t have unrealistic expectations when she came here. She didn’t expect to be able to do the same kind of work as in Hong Kong, and was willing to do anything. She worked in a factory, in an import-export company, did some home knitting, and the last company she worked for was Profekta. She worked there until she retired in 1992.
• After retirement, her son was afraid that she would be bored. But she now volunteers at the church, help seniors by driving them to go out, and she has made a lot of friends. She loves the life in Canada, but she commented that public safety is not what it was before.
• She commented how nice people were to her when she first arrived in Canada. The bus drivers were so polite, and people always greet her by saying good morning. They didn’t even have to lock their doors at home. It’s no longer the way it was.
• The whole family are Catholics. She helps at the church, at communions, etc. She would go the seniors’ homes eg. Yee Hong, to read the Bible to the residents.
• Her daughter trained in Canada as a gynecological nurse, and now works for the government. She also does a lot of [community] work. The other 2 children work as designers for companies.
• She has been living in a seniors’ apartment for approx. 10 years, and have many friends there.