Jennifer Yip (BA ‘10) felt like an outsider. She had limited knowledge of her cultural roots as a Chinese Canadian until she enrolled in a UBC History course that changed her life.
The course provided an opportunity for Jennifer to work on an oral history research project of Chinese Canadians in Vancouver. Since 2007, more than 1000 students like Jennifer have worked with the Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies to help gather the previously undocumented life histories of generations of Chinese immigrants.
“Oral histories enlarge the scope of what Chinese Canadian history is,” says Jennifer. “In high school you learn about the railroad and the Head Tax. But it’s so much more than that. These accounts provide a cross-section of society.”
With the support of alumni and community partners including Vancouver business leader Peter Eng and real estate agentPatsy Hui (Dip Mktg ‘86), students have documented over 1000 oral histories in the form of videos, audio files and written records.
“The support we have received from donors and volunteers have enabled us to transfer information through generations,” says program founder and History professor Henry Yu. “We are rethinking Vancouver’s Chinese history and helping community members to redefine their individual and collective identities.”
From conducting interviews and referencing records, to reviewing the recordings and editing the final piece, students are given creative license to produce these materials that are preserved in the UBC archives.
Through these projects, Jennifer also discovered something about herself: “I started to see how people like my great-grandparents, grandparents—even how my friends and I—have had a hand in shaping Canadian history.”
By Michelle Keong
Jennifer Yip (BA ‘10) felt like an outsider. She had limited knowledge of her cultural roots as a Chinese Canadian until she enrolled in a UBC History course that changed her life.
The course provided an opportunity for Jennifer to work on an oral history research project of Chinese Canadians in Vancouver. Since 2007, more than 1000 students like Jennifer have worked with the Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies to help gather the previously undocumented life histories of generations of Chinese immigrants.
“Oral histories enlarge the scope of what Chinese Canadian history is,” says Jennifer. “In high school you learn about the railroad and the Head Tax. But it’s so much more than that. These accounts provide a cross-section of society.”
With the support of alumni and community partners including Vancouver business leader Peter Eng and real estate agentPatsy Hui (Dip Mktg ‘86), students have documented over 1000 oral histories in the form of videos, audio files and written records.
“The support we have received from donors and volunteers have enabled us to transfer information through generations,” says program founder and History professor Henry Yu. “We are rethinking Vancouver’s Chinese history and helping community members to redefine their individual and collective identities.”
From conducting interviews and referencing records, to reviewing the recordings and editing the final piece, students are given creative license to produce these materials that are preserved in the UBC archives.
Through these projects, Jennifer also discovered something about herself: “I started to see how people like my great-grandparents, grandparents—even how my friends and I—have had a hand in shaping Canadian history.” Jennifer Yip (BA ‘10) felt like an outsider. She had limited knowledge of her cultural roots as a Chinese Canadian until she enrolled in a UBC History course that changed her life.
The course provided an opportunity for Jennifer to work on an oral history research project of Chinese Canadians in Vancouver. Since 2007, more than 1000 students like Jennifer have worked with the Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies to help gather the previously undocumented life histories of generations of Chinese immigrants.
“Oral histories enlarge the scope of what Chinese Canadian history is,” says Jennifer. “In high school you learn about the railroad and the Head Tax. But it’s so much more than that. These accounts provide a cross-section of society.”
With the support of alumni and community partners including Vancouver business leader Peter Eng and real estate agentPatsy Hui (Dip Mktg ‘86), students have documented over 1000 oral histories in the form of videos, audio files and written records.
“The support we have received from donors and volunteers have enabled us to transfer information through generations,” says program founder and History professor Henry Yu. “We are rethinking Vancouver’s Chinese history and helping community members to redefine their individual and collective identities.”
From conducting interviews and referencing records, to reviewing the recordings and editing the final piece, students are given creative license to produce these materials that are preserved in the UBC archives.
Through these projects, Jennifer also discovered something about herself: “I started to see how people like my great-grandparents, grandparents—even how my friends and I—have had a hand in shaping Canadian history.”
Jennifer Yip is Chinese Canadian. But with limited knowledge of her cultural roots, Jennifer felt like an outsider. That is, until she enrolled in a History course that changed her life.
As part of the Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC), Jennifer captured the oral histories of Chinese Canadians in Vancouver. Since 2007, students like Jennifer have collected the previously undocumented histories of family members, merchants, restaurant owners, and other individuals of immigrant backgrounds.
“Oral histories enlarge the scope of what Chinese Canadian history is,” says Jennifer. “In high school you learn about the railroad and the Head Tax. But it’s so much more than that. These accounts provide a cross-section of society.”
With the support of alumni and community partners including Peter Eng and Patsy Hui (Dip Mktg ‘86), students have documented over 1000 oral histories in the form of videos, audio files and written records.
“The support we have received from donors and volunteers have enabled us to transfer information through generations,” says program founder and History professor Henry Yu. “We are rethinking Vancouver’s Chinese history and helping community members to redefine their individual and collective identities.”
From conducting interviews and referencing records, to reviewing the recordings and editing the final piece, students are given creative license to produce these materials that are preserved in the UBC archives.
Through these projects, Jennifer also discovered something about herself: “I started to see how people like my great-grandparents, grandparents—even how my friends and I—have had a hand in shaping Canadian history.”
By Michelle Keong
