Chinese-Canadian History

Introduction

This study guide will help you find information in the Vancouver Public Library on Chinese-Canadian history, from the early years to the present day. The guide draws mainly on the collection in Fine Arts and History (Level 6), but also includes materials found in other Library collections.

For books, films and websites focusing on the stories of specific Chinese-Canadian individuals and families, see separate booklist, Chinese-Canadian Biographies and Family Histories.

Search Strategies

The Library has many books, videos and other resources on Chinese-Canadian History. The best way to locate this material is to use the Library Catalogue.

Searching the Library Catalogue:

China - Emigration and immigration - History
Chinatown (Vancouver, B.C.) [or other city]
Chinese - British Columbia
Chinese - British Columbia - Vancouver
Chinese - Canada
Chinese - Canada - History
Chinese Canadians
Chinese Canadians - British Columbia [subdivides geographically]
Chinese Canadians - British Columbia - Vancouver [and further subdivisions]
Vancouver (B.C.) - History - Riot, 1907

Directories

Special Collections (Level 7) has a variety of Chinese telephone directories available in microfilm and print:

B.C. directories dating back to 1860 have been microfilmed. Chinese directories appear on the microfilms as early as 1882/83.
There is a print collection of Chinese directories, mainly for Vancouver (approximate coverage 1945-1988; some years missing).
Several directories on the Vancouver Public Library's British Columbia City Directories website include Chinese sections.

Searching the Northwest History Index:

This card index (located in Special Collections on Level 7) provides access to the Northwest History Collection, a heritage collection covering the early history and exploration of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. The collection includes magazine and newspaper articles, as well as pamphlets, books, chapters in books and many other resources. As of August 1998, no new material has been added to the Northwest History Index. It is continued by the British Columbia Index.

Northwest History Index headings for Chinese-Canadian history include:

Chinatown, Vancouver, B.C.
Chinese Benevolent Association
Chinese-Canadian Historical Society
Chinese Community Library Services Association
Chinese Cultural Centre, Vancouver, B.C.
Chinese Edition Lifestyle Magazine, Vancouver, B.C. (Publication)
Chinese Free Press, Vancouver, B.C.(Publication)
Chinese in Barkerville, B.C.
Chinese in [name of place]
Chinese Nationalist League
Chinese New Republic, Vancouver, B.C.(Publication)
Chinese Schools - Vancouver, B.C.
Chinese Times, Vancouver, B.C. (Publication)

Searching the British Columbia Index database:

This index is an electronic continuation of the Northwest History Index, and similarly acts as a finding tool for documents and facts relating to Canada's westernmost province. The index covers resources from August 1988 to present. It can be searched by keyword or subject.

Searching the Historical Photographs:

Special Collections (Level 7) has an extensive collection of historical photographs relating to Vancouver and British Columbia. To locate photographs on Chinese-Canadian history, look under the following heading in the Historical Photographs card index, or search the digitized Historical Photographs of BC and the Yukon database.

Chinese Canadians - B.C.

Additional headings under which useful references may be found include:

Junks
Vancouver - Districts - Strathcona
Vancouver - Streets - [name of individual street in Chinatown area, e.g. Keefer]

Searching the B.C. Provincial Library Newspaper Index microfilms:

This microfilmed index of B.C. newspapers, covering the years 1900-1982, can be consulted in the Special Collections Department on Level 7 or in the Online Information and News Department on Level 5. Relevant headings include:

Chinese immigration
Chinese in B.C.
Chinese in Canada
Chineses in Vancouver
Chinese in Vancouver Island
Chinese in Victoria
Royal Commission on Oriental Immigration

* Personal names are also indexed.

Searching the Newspaper Clipping Collection Index database:

The following files include newspaper clippings on Chinese immigration to Canada, and are available in the Online Information and News (Level 5). Most clippings date from 1994 or earlier.

History & Government Clippings