Once you're on site, my best tip for getting the most out of an archives visit is asking for a quick tour. Most times the archivist will ask you what area, subject, or time frame you're researching. They will also show you how to fill out a record retrieval slip and while I am an experienced researcher, I always appreciate the reminders. Every archive follows archival best practises, which means...
Tag: 葉春田 Yip Sang
Wing Sang: a house of memory
The committee chose Wing Sang at 51 E Pender Street to be the new museum. This iconic building, the first of its kind in Chinatown, the mythical touchstone of dreams for so many immigrants, and my family's historic home, will now be the house of our collective memories.
The families of old Canada: Dukesang Wong, Chue Ah Louie and Yip Sang
Thanks to readers who recommended it, I picked up a copy of The Diary of Dukesang Wong at my favourite local book store, McNally Robinson. It's a slim volume and an easy read - no more than 115 pages not including bibliography. It is the only first-person account of the life of a Chinese railway… Continue reading The families of old Canada: Dukesang Wong, Chue Ah Louie and Yip Sang
Ah Yih, Ah Tat, Ah Tom – what is the Chinese name “Ah”?
In this post I explore the Chinese name "Ah" and discuss the implications for genealogy.
Finding the Chinese names of my family: 葉
In this post, I learn how to type Chinese on a computer, and then find out the meanings of my family's names. Then I show you how I did it so you can do it too.
PSST: I’m going live on the radio on Canada Day!
Catch me LIVE on CBC Radio, July 1st
Getting published in the Sing Tao Daily – 24 Jun 2020
My article in the Sing Tao Daily is published. I can't read it in Chinese but I have tools I'll share with you, plus a personal memory of the Sing Tao.
The Chrysalis: The Early Life of Susanne Gim Ling Yip Sang
Documents only tell a part of the story. Here's how I put them together.
Travels in China – the Overseas Chinese
One of the more startling revelations from the trip was learning about the Overseas Chinese - that's us. We folk of Chinese origin, we whose ancestors migrated from Sze Yup/Wuyi, China from about 1850-1949, we who are Chinese-something, be it Chinese Canadian, Chinese Hawaiian, Chinese Malay, Chinese South African, Chinese Thai, Chinese Singaporean and about 100… Continue reading Travels in China – the Overseas Chinese
Travels in China – the beginning
Part 1 of my multipart series on travelling to Sze Yup, Guangdong, China to find my family roots.