Description
Book SynopsisIn the late 1870s, thousands of Chinese men left coastal British Columbia and the western United States and headed east. For these men, the Prairies were a land of opportunity; there, they could open shops and potentially earn enough money to become merchants. The result of almost a decade's research and more than three hundred interviews, Cultivating Connections tells the stories of some of Prairie Canada''s Chinese settlers men and women from various generations who navigated cultural difference. These stories reveal the critical importance of networks in coping with experiences of racism and establishing a successful life on the Prairies. This book offers an incisive look at the organizations, relationships, and ties that were critical in forging and sustaining life yet it also serves as a remarkable record of the voices of some of the Prairies' most resilient and resourceful pioneers.
Trade ReviewCultivating Connections provides a nuanced analysis of the gendered and racial experiences of Chinese Prairie Canadians and is an excellent contribution to the literature on the history of immigration and migration, social geography, and women’s history. -- Cayley B. Bower, University of Western Ontario * British Journal of Canadian Studies, Vol. 29 No. 1, Spring 2016 *
Table of ContentsIntroduction
1 Affective Regimes, Nationalism, and the KMT
2 Reverend Ma Seung
3 Bachelor Uncles: Frank Chan and Sam Dong
4 Affect through Sports: Mark Ki and Happy Young
5 Married Nationalists: Charles Yee and Charlie Foo
6 Women beyond the Frame
7 Early Chinese Prairie Wives
8 Quongying’s Coins and Sword
9 Chinese Prairie Daughters
Conclusion
Appendix; Notes; Glossary; Bibliography; Index
