Second World War Veteran George Chow visits the Britannia Shipyards exhibit.| Photo courtesy of Britannia Shipyards.
One War, Two Victories, a traveling exhibit by the Chinese Canadian Museum Society sheds light on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Chinese Canadians on behalf of Allied forces during the Second World War. The exhibit is currently on display at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site in Richmond.
According to Brooke Lees, the site’s heritage coordinator, the Britannia Shipyards displays Steveston’s maritime history as well as the history of B.C.’s multi-ethnic community.
“The Britannia Shipyards showcases the cultural mosaic of the Steveston area from 1880–1942 with 12 buildings that explore life and work on the waterfront,” says Lees.
The Chinese Canadian Museum thought the site was a natural choice, given its already existing inclusion of Chinese Canadian history.
“The exhibit is being displayed in the Chinese Bunkhouse, which also houses other exhibitions on the early Chinese immigration to B.C.,” says Lees.
Lees further explains that the exhibition’s title refers to the Chinese Canadians’ military victory achieved overseas as well as the victory achieved at home.
“The exhibit explores the courage and hardship endured by Chinese men and women during the Second World War in an effort to gain respect and full Canadian citizenship,” says Lees.
Unique Chinese-Canadian experiences
Veteran George Chow, 93, is one of many Chinese Canadians who had to endure hardship to gain equality.
“My three sisters were separated. They were in China for about 12 years, but then my oldest sister and my next oldest sister came back [to Canada] in 1939,” says Chow. “My youngest sister couldn’t come back because she was born in China.”
However, with Chow being sworn in at Victoria’s Bay Street Armory in 1940, he gained equality by being the only ethnic Chinese Canadian to be a Bofors gunner in the 16th Light Anti-Aircraft Battalion, which was a unique feat considering the long history of racism that discouraged the recruitment of non-whites.
“After being treated like a second-class citizen when I was a youth, I was now treated like an equal in the army. You have your uniform, you’re in it together, you eat together, you sleep in the same room together. We were just brothers, that’s what it amounts to,” says Chow.
A larger story of veterans and the Chinese community
Catherine Clement, the curator of the Chinese Canadian Military museum, says that the exhibition tells of the struggles and changes experienced by Chinese Canadians and brings to light the doubts and fears of the Chinese community in deciding to serve their country.
“When the war was declared, the Chinese Canadian community had this really big debate. There were those who said, ‘We should go and serve because if we do this, we will prove our loyalty to Canada and we can win the right to be full citizens.’ And others said, ‘Why would we bother to fight for a country that’s treated us this way?’” says Clement.
Lees believes that this exhibit is important as it examines the overlooked contribution of Chinese Canadians in the war effort, and it inspires perseverance in the face of hardship. She also says that it emphasizes the importance of justice.
“Justice is an important contemporary consideration, and the exhibit’s war time recollections effectively communicate that it is always worth fighting for a just cause,” says Lees.
On the other hand, Chow argues that the exhibit is important in educating the public not only about the part of Chinese Canadians in Second World War, but also about the contribution of all Canadians.
“I got a veteran’s plate and this guy asked me – he’s a grown man – he says, ‘What does veteran mean?’ I think he was really ignorant about the whole fact,” says Chow. “He didn’t know what veteran meant. He didn’t know that word.”
One War, Two Victories is on display until Sept. 30. For more info, visit www.ccmms.ca or www.richmond.ca/culture/sites/britannia.htm
