Chasing Their Dreams: Chinese Settlement in the Northwest Region of British Columbia

by Lily Chow

'Chasing Their Dreams' recreates the hardships early Chinese settlers faced in Northwestern British harsh land and climate, little or no financial resources, deep-set prejudice and sometimes racial violence.
Panning for gold, making ties for the railroad, canning fish, running laundries and restaurants, these people persevered despite persecution by the local populace and the provincial and federal governments. The documentation of Chinese relations with northern First Nations, going all the way back to 458 BC, make this book one of the most thoroughly researched histories of Chinese settlement in British Columbia. 

"... The Chinese came to Canada for reasons not too dissimilar to other settlers, yet they have often been suspected on other unfounded grounds. The description of the Klondike saga is indeed incredible. It exposes the injustice of an elected municipal government, or a democracy without justice is worse than benevolent authoritarianism." '-from foreword by Dr. W. C. Tan, Canadian College for Chinese Studies'

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so few books on the history of the Chinese in places other than major urban centres, and for good reason: there is scant documentation. To write a book such as this takes serious archival research to find the few vestiges of fonds that survived to today. Years of detective work are necessary. I will be using this book as a reference for my own work in Chinese Canadian genealogy.

Copies of this book are available through Caitlin Press.