Aurora is hosting a travelling exhibition that documents the early struggles of Chinese immigrants against racism in Canada.
Standing in the Doorway: Lived Histories & Experiences of the Chinese Community explores Chinese culture, heritage, and the centennial of the Chinese Exclusion Act, signed on July 1 1923, which banned Chinese immigration to Canada.
“The curators of this exhibit did an incredible job of mindfully approaching that difficult history and highlighting the resilience of the community, in the face of that discrimination,” said Michelle Johnson, collections and exhibitions co-ordinator with the Town of Aurora.
“It really shows a variety of different stories, from the Chinese community in York Region and how they thrived despite these awful policies,” she added.
This exhibit was a collaboration project between the York Region District School Board and Markham Museum has won several awards, including the Governor General’s History Award.
The exhibit is spread throughout the floors of the Aurora Town Square building and documents the lives of Chinese immigrants around the time of the act. One portion of the exhibit focuses on Chinese-run laundries and their importance in the lives of Chinese immigrants during this period.
Johnson notes town archival documents show there was a Chinese laundry on Yonge Street in the early days of Aurora’s industrial past.
“Knowing that these histories and these stories were also present in our community, I think it's important for people visiting the exhibition to know that this isn't something that was happening far away,” she said. “It was happening right here on Yonge Street.”
Standing in the Doorway: Lived Histories & Experiences of the Chinese Community, on display until March 16 at Aurora Town Square, 50 Victoria St.
Separately, the town is also hosting An Evening in Oblivion, a documentary screening of a film about Operation: Oblivion, a secret Second World War special forces unit comprised of Chinese-Canadian soldiers.
Learn more at AuroraTownSquare.ca.