|
Post by douglaslam on Jun 20, 2012 3:51:11 GMT -5
Today is a very ordinary, yet extraordinary day. I went to town to have yum cha lunch with my cousin, her husband and my aunt. My Auntie comes to Sydney once each year, staying with her daughter and son-in-law. My cousin and her husband maintain homes in Sydney and Hong Kong. They are true frequent flyers. A very ordinary turn of event.
The extraordinary part is when Auntie handed an old envelope, and told me there is something from grandfather. As I took out the contents from the envelope, I saw something I have coveted for many years , my grandfather's Canadian Head Tax Certificate !! What joy, what ecstasy ! I was overcome with emotion, my eyes welled-up, I was speechless, and breathed deeply for long moments. It took a while for me to recollect, and steady myself. My Eureka moment.
Members over the years would remember I often express my regrets for not taking possession of my grandfather's Head Tax Certificate which I first held in my hands in 1973 in Vancouver. I did not realise its significance until I became aware of the Head Tax and Exclusion Act redress drive in Canada, culminating in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's apology in the House of Commons in June 2006.
I long thought it was lost because repeated request to my relatives in HK failed to find it. Now, it is in my hands again. I shall have it scanned and posted on this board for all to see and share my absolute delight. It is our family jewel.
In the envelope, there is a letter of citizenship dated July 22, 1952 when gf was in his late sixties. Yet, another letter dated May 8, 1958 when gf's application for Federal Old Age Security pension was granted. The monthly pension was $55. No doubt gf would try to save every penny for us in Hong Kong for Mao's thugs had seized all our assets in China and bled him dry. What a man!! Then there is his income tax assessment notice date mailed July 31, 1946. His taxable income was $1537.52.
I often thought of asking tech-savvy members on this board to do an online search for me to bring a closure to grandfather's Head Tax record. I even wrote to UBC's history department, which invited people to write for help. And nothing came of it.
Now, I have it. What a top day.
|
|
|
Post by helen on Jun 20, 2012 4:17:53 GMT -5
Awesome Douglas - I'm so glad that it has been a red letter day for you. All that time spent wishing and hoping. It's a dream come true. Looking forward to seeing the scanned items. Great news.
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Jun 21, 2012 1:55:43 GMT -5
Yes Helen, it was a great day. We were having lunch at the same restaurant where we had our first happy meal on that cold wet Saturday with you and hubby, and Geoff.
The other six people at the table were at a loss why I got so worked up. They didn't know, understand, or appreciate the Head Tax payer descendants' push for an apology and compensation. They didn't appreciate, in a small way the Head Tax certificate is an important historical document which any Canadian metropolitan museum, major library, or university would be glad to have on display. I can't be objective about it I trembled a little,buried my head in my hands in elation, and relief, Then, the grin stayed my face for the rest of the lunch meeting.I don't think I ever felt that way before, not even at the birth of my children.
Now, I have the certificate photo-copied in colour, and scanned at work. As soon as my daughter is available to show me, I'll have it posted online, and with explanation.
|
|
|
Post by Henry on Jun 21, 2012 17:56:11 GMT -5
Hi Douglas,
Wow !
You have really hit the jackpot !
Looking forward to seeing the scan.
Henry
|
|
June
Member
Posts: 70
|
Post by June on Jun 22, 2012 0:31:16 GMT -5
Congratulations Douglas. I know what a wonderful feeling it is when something, once thought lost to us, is found.
June
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Jun 22, 2012 6:39:55 GMT -5
Many thanks to Helen, Henry, and June for showing interest in my grandfather's Head Tax Certificate. I have the text prepared but am still waiting for my daughter to help with the uploading. Its Friday evening, my daughter is out with her boyfriend. Little chance of getting it done tonight.
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Jun 23, 2012 6:19:02 GMT -5
Here is my grandfather's Head Tax Certificate, the holy grail of my family history research. On paper, according to our zupu I can trace my family tree back 2,000 years or more. Yet I know so little of the immediate generations. For example, I know nothing of my great-grandfather's generation except for his name. Therefore, I want to find out as much as I can about my grandfather, a man I respect so very much. I want to know about his times in Canada and China, the HTC encapsulates much what I want to find out. The meticulous record keeping by Canadian authorities albeit in a demeaning way, does reveal in unambiguous terms my grandfather's arrival in Vancouver on May 3, 1914, Empress of Asia is the steamer on which he travelled on and $500 he paid on landing. It also shows our village name On Tong, but I can't make sense of the district name. Romanisation of his name is also of interest. On HTC he is shown as Lam Kwon Hup. On other official papers it also appears as Lam Koon Hop, or Lum Koon Hop. Fortunately, the authorities didn't dwell on that, otherwise he would have a hard task to explain himself. The age shown on the HTC is 27, which I think is rather old for a person who wants to seek his fortune abroad. Because of his mature age, he never got far in his command of English. He could not string a sentence together. The garb he had on was still commonly seen when I was a young boy in China and Hong Kong. It is worn in summer because it does not clink to the body. I do not know what the material is called in English. I did see a few among his belongings when I hastily packed for him to leave Vancouver in November 1973. Here is the reverse side, and it is of even greater interest. There are reminders in Chinese and English for the holder to take good care of the HTC. It is effectively a travel document, an authorisation to re-enter Canada, and a formal ID. If you didn't have it, you'll be denied entry or demanded to pay the HT. I think the maximum period you were allowed to stay away was two years. There are four stamps on the reverse side, all marked Chinese Immigration. In this day and age, it is unacceptable to categorise individuals racially by immigration officials, but not so in early 20th century. The four stamps tell me grandfather made four return trips to China between 1914 and perhaps 1936, or not long before Japan's full scale invasion of China. It is unheard of for any one man to make four trips home in just over two decades. Extravagance? I am not sure. Grandfather was perhaps homesick for his family. Or he might have saved enough to buy land piecemeal. Anyway, it was no small achievement that he had saved enough to pay off his HT, returned home often, bought paddy fields, built a house, and raised a family. He was not a businessman and he loathed gambling. One stamp marks 1920. My father's younger brother was born in that year. I assume grandfather returned to China the first time in early 1919, stayed for a long while, and back to Vancouver after the birth of his second son. I think my father, the oldest child, was born shortly before or soon after grandfather setting off for the Gold Mountain. All four stamps match up to the number of children ( one set of twins )he had. Initially, I thought the stamps were to mark departure dates. But the big round one showing Nov. 23 1920 , convinced me it was a re-entry date because I know that is my uncle's year of birth. The HTC fills in the gap of my knowledge. Are there other members from Canada who can shed more light on this very special piece of paper? I welcome any additional information. I am sure I saw another piece of paper which read Poll Tax. Was it my imagination or there was a Poll Tax as well? I invite our tech-savvy members from North America, people like Henry, Doug Joe, laohuaqiao, Christine de Villiers, Linda, and any one interested to do a cross-reference check aginst Canadian archives and shipping passenger lists for a full closure of my grandfather's sojourn in Canada. It is safe to assume Chinese-Canadian families holding a HTC would be reluctant to part with it. I know I wouldn't. It is a very exclusive club. I am a happy man.
|
|
|
Post by laohuaqiao on Jun 23, 2012 12:16:51 GMT -5
Congratulation, douglaslam. I do see a family resemblance.
I believe the "definitely cool" textile material you're referring to is "的確涼" dik kok leung in Cantonese. I don't know the marketing genius who came up with this clever translation. From the sound, I've always thought it was dacron, but have never bothered to confirm it.
Perhaps you should consider joining the movement requesting from Canadian government compensation be given to descendants of Head Tax payers. It's just the right thing for the Canadian government to do.
|
|
|
Post by geoff on Jun 23, 2012 14:59:06 GMT -5
Hi Douglas,
Thank you for sharing your find & story with us.
Like you, I have tangible proof (from copies of Certs of Domicile & Certs of Exempting from Dictation Test archived at National Archives) of the oral history of the family & want to research more. We must meet again & share our delights.
|
|
|
Post by tyuti1668 on Jun 23, 2012 17:26:29 GMT -5
... I believe the "definitely cool" textile material you're referring to is "的確涼" dik kok leung in Cantonese. I don't know the marketing genius who came up with this clever translation. From the sound, I've always thought it was dacron, but have never bothered to confirm... Pre dacron is these: baike.baidu.com/view/645483.htm
|
|
|
Post by helen on Jun 23, 2012 20:21:48 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by douglaslam on Jun 24, 2012 0:30:23 GMT -5
Thank you all for contributing to the discussion. I think tyuti1668 got it right. The garment is not synthetic material like Dacron. My grandmother used to wear similar garments in the sticky hot months. Only older people cared to wear them. I never had one, and would certainly not wanting to be seen wearing one. It is cool gear in summer, but not cool for the younger generation.
laohuaqiao, I don't know anything about the push for compensation by the Head Tax payer descendants. It is water under the bridge. Money matters little to me in the whole saga. The former prime minister Martin did say a medal struck for the HT payer families, but no apology. He lost the job before anything concrete was done. A medal would do nicely.
|
|
|
Post by helen on Jun 24, 2012 4:35:15 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Ah Gin on Jun 24, 2012 4:40:15 GMT -5
Douglas,
I add to a long queue of well wishers to your remarkable find. To think the HTC turns out to be such a happy document for you, even if the original caused a great deal of pain to the individuals. I understand your joy, as during our research visits to the Public Record Office in Melbourne and Ballarat, whenever we discover fellow clan members' name in Chinese (usually in Petitions) in official documents, and to be able to track down living relatives who are related to us (albeit distant), it's a feeling of joy not understood by many. Hope you find more original documents.
Regards, Ah Gin
|
|
|
Post by helen on Jun 24, 2012 4:46:37 GMT -5
|
|