Introductory Notes 

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On "HERE WE STAY— Our Choice 'Oral History of Canadian Chinese Immigrants'— The Maritime Chapter" 

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Chinese immigrants are an important ethnic group in Canada. According to the Statistics Canada 2016 census data, the total population of Canada was 34,460,065, among which 1,769,195 were Chinese Canadians, accounting for 5.1% of the total Canadian population and ranking the seventh largest among all ethnic groups.

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 "Here We Stay — Our Choice" is the first book series that uses the method of oral history to record the individual Chinese immigration experiences and living status.

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This book, "The Maritime Chapter", is the debut of the series of books generated from the "Oral History of Canadian Chinese Immigrants" project, an excerpt from our 19 interviewees. They are ranged in age from 19 to 90, vary in background from young international students of recent years to descendants of the early Chinese immigrants in 1900's. Regardless of the social class, religion, jobs or profession and the achievements, our interviewees came from various backgrounds. We adhere to the principles of Oral history, trying to be an objective recorder refusing any predominate standpoint and any judgement imposed. The interview questions mainly focus on: status before immigration, the motivation to immigrate, application procedures, experience after landing, and reflections on the whole process. The complete oral record totals more than 300,000 words, with video contents of more than 60 hours. Any individuals and organizations — including but not limited to readers, sociologists, historians, literary and film workers, academic institutions, and relevant government agencies are welcomed to contact us for reference.

 

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