Faced with systematic discrimination in Canada, early Chinese immigrants had little choice but to create their own economic niche. From the turn of the twentieth century through the Second World War, a majority of Canada's Chinese immigrants were laundry workers in towns and cities from coast to coast. Although the hand laundry was not a traditional trade in China, laundry work required little capital, and could be performed despite a lack of familiarity with Western languages and financial systems. The hours were long, the work was physically demanding, and most chinese laundry workers lived a marginal existence - as poignantly evoked in this important new work. With the advent of modern laundry equipment and synthetic fibres in the 1950s, and the aging of the laundrymen themselves, the chinese hand laundry came to an end. To generations of Chinese-Canadians, however, it remains a symbol of hard work, sacrifice and enduring hardship.

Enduring Hardship: The Chinese Laundry in Canada (Mercury Series (0316-1854))

History

Hoe, Ban Seng

Americas

Canadian Museum of History

The exhibition, Treasures from China, produced by the Canadian Museum of Civilization in partnership with the National Museum of China, offers a fascinating glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of one of the world's oldest living civilizations. This souvenir book features many of the rarest and most beautiful objects of the exhibition. Chosen for their historical, social and cultural importance, these timeless treasures bear witness to China's social evolution, artistic innovation, and international stature.

Timeless Splendour: Treasures from the National Museum of China

Arts & Photography

History & Criticism

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Books by Hoe, Ban Seng