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加拿大日的雙重意義 | The Dual Meaning of Canada Day

(採訪/編輯：黃慧聰)

加拿大日的意義，同時是慶祝與反思。對許多加拿大人來說，7月1日是國家自豪感的象徵；但對不少加拿大華人而言，這一天承載著另一段沉重歷史：1923年7月1日，《華人移民法》正式生效。這條法例俗稱《排華法案》，幾乎完全阻止華人移民加拿大，直到1947年5月14日才被廢除。它令無數家庭分隔兩地，限制了一代人的未來，也在加拿大華人社群中留下深遠傷痕。

As Canada Day approaches, celebration and reflection often sit side by side. For many Canadians, July 1 is a day of national pride. But for many Chinese Canadians, this date also carries another layer of history: July 1, 1923, the day the Chinese Immigration Act came into effect. Commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the law virtually stopped Chinese immigration to Canada and remained in place until May 14, 1947. It separated families, limited futures and left a lasting mark on generations of Chinese Canadians.

Gerry Yee 的家族文件線索 | Gerry Yee’s Family Paper Trail

Gerry Yee 的家族故事，令這段歷史有了更具體的人情味。他說，年輕時自己對家族早期在加拿大的歷程所知不多；但父母保存了一些重要文件，包括一張附有父親年輕時照片的華人移民證明書。在過去12至15年間，Gerry 逐漸成為家族歷史的整理者。「金山」一詞對華人離散社群有深刻意義。它代表早期華人移民來到加拿大時所懷抱的希望：尋找工作、求生存，並為家人創造更好的未來。然而，在這份希望背後，是巨大的犧牲。許多移民與摯親分隔兩地，面對歧視，在艱苦環境中工作，只為支持遠在海洋另一端的家人。

Gerry Yee's family story gives that history a human face. He said that when he was younger, he knew relatively little about his family's early journey in Canada. But his parents preserved important documents, including a Chinese immigration certificate with a photo of his father as a young man. Over the past 12 to 15 years, Yee has become the family historian.

Through family documents, online research and government archives, Yee traced part of his family's Canadian journey. His grandfather arrived in Canada in 1910. His father arrived in 1923, just before the Chinese Exclusion Act took effect.

Jacqueline Louie 與《Honouring the Gold Mountain Dreamers》

這段歷史正是作家 Jacqueline Louie 著作《Honoring the Gold Mountain Dreamers》的核心，也與 Gerry Yee 的家族歷程緊密相連。在接受加拿大中文電台的訪問中，Jacqueline 和 Gerry 分享了為何在一百多年後，家族故事、社區記憶與歷史文件仍然值得被保存和傳承。Jacqueline 表示，這本書源於卡加利市政府一個與《華人移民法》100周年相關的資助項目。作為一名作家，她希望把早期華人移民後代的故事記錄下來，讓他們回望父母、祖父母，甚至曾祖父母在排華時期的經歷。原本可能只是一個小型項目，最後發展成一本書。原因很簡單：當 Jacqueline 開始聆聽這些故事後，她發現內容太重要，不能只是簡略帶過。

That difficult chapter sits at the heart of Jacqueline Louie's book,《 Honouring the Gold Mountain Dreamers》, and Gerry Yee's personal family journey. In a conversation with Fairchild Radio, Louie and Yee reflected on why family stories, community memory and preserved documents still matter more than a century later. Louie said the book began through a City of Calgary grant opportunity connected to the centennial of the 1923 Act. As a writer, she saw a chance to document the experiences of descendants of early Chinese immigrants — people reflecting on parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents who lived through the exclusion era.

What began as a possible small project grew into a book. The reason was simple: once Louie began listening, the stories became too important to keep brief.

分享、講述與記住 | Sharing, Telling and Remembering

這個過程讓她感受到，許多加拿大人其實願意了解這段歷史；而不少華人家庭，也準備好把過去只在家中流傳的故事分享出來。透過家族文件、網上資料及政府檔案，Gerry 追溯到家族在加拿大的部分歷程。他的祖父於1910年抵達加拿大，父親則在1923年來到加拿大，剛好趕在《排華法案》生效之前。

The process reminded her that many Canadians are ready to learn more about this part of history, while many Chinese Canadian families are ready to share stories that were once kept quietly within households. The phrase "Gold Mountain" carries deep meaning in the Chinese diaspora. It speaks to the hope that brought many early immigrants to Canada: the possibility of work, survival and a better future for family. But behind that hope were enormous sacrifices. Many immigrants lived apart from loved ones, faced discrimination and worked in difficult conditions while trying to support families across the ocean.

1923年7月1日之後 | After July 1, 1923

這個時間點極為關鍵。1923年7月1日之後，華人移民受到嚴重限制，情況持續超過二十年。Gerry Yee 反思，一個年輕人獨自橫渡重洋，沒有語言能力，沒有熟悉環境，也不知道自己會否被接納，這份孤單和壓力難以想像。他指出，這條法例明顯針對華人，不但影響來自中國的移民，也影響當時已經在加拿大生活的華人家庭。當年的社會環境，令華人要被主流社會接納變得極其困難。

That timing was crucial. After July 1, 1923, Chinese immigration was heavily restricted for more than two decades. Yee reflected on what it must have meant for a young person to cross the ocean alone, without language, without familiar surroundings and without certainty of acceptance. Yee said the Act was clearly directed at ethnic Chinese people and affected not only immigrants from China, but also Chinese Canadian families already living in Canada. The social conditions of the time made it extremely difficult to be accepted.

Yet Yee also emphasized perseverance. His ancestors did what they had to do to survive, to support family and to create a future for the next generation. Louie also shared the story of Ha Ling Peak in Canmore, formerly known by a derogatory name. The mountain is connected to Ha Ling, a Chinese labourer who climbed it in the 1890s. Louie said curiosity and research helped restore dignity to that story, showing how one question can change how a community remembers a place.

加拿大多元拼圖的一部分 | Part of Canada’s Multicultural Mosaic

對 Gerry Yee 而言，他的家族故事只是加拿大多元拼圖中的一小部分。加拿大是一個由不同移民故事塑造而成的多元文化國家，而每個故事都包含困難、適應與貢獻。今天的新移民面對的挑戰或許與一百年前不同，但尋找歸屬感的過程，仍然是非常人性的共同經驗。正如 Jacqueline 所期望，《Honoring the Gold Mountain Dreamers》能夠讓更多加拿大讀者認識這段歷史。而 Gerry 的經歷也提醒我們，每個家庭都可能保存著一條文件線索、一段記憶線索，或一個尚未被提出的問題。

For Yee, his family story is one small part of a much larger Canadian mosaic. Canada is a multicultural country, shaped by many migration stories, each carrying hardship, adaptation and contribution. Today's newcomers may face different barriers than those who arrived a century ago, but the human challenge of finding belonging remains familiar. As Louie hopes, 《Honoring the Gold Mountain Dreamers》can reach more readers across Canada. And as Yee’s journey shows, every family may hold a paper trail, a memory trail or an unanswered question waiting to be explored.

在加拿大日反思歸屬 | Reflecting on Belonging on Canada Day

在加拿大日，真正有意義的公民反思，不只是慶祝這個國家，也包括記住那些曾在被排斥中仍然努力建設加拿大的人。他們的故事提醒我們，歸屬感不是理所當然，而是透過犧牲、承認、同理心，以及保存歷史的勇氣一點一滴建立起來。

On Canada Day, one meaningful act of citizenship is not only to celebrate the country, but also to remember those who helped build it despite exclusion. Their stories remind us that belonging is not automatic. It is built through sacrifice, recognition, empathy and the courage to preserve what came before.

*This article does not represent the views of Fairchild Radio CHKF94.7 Calgary.
*以上嘉賓意見，不代表本台立場。

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