Research Group
Veterans Discovery Project Case 2: Mary Kobong A project to explore the forgotten histories of AsianCanadian Veterans
The story of Mary Kobong offers unique insights on the experience of Canada’s early generation of Chinese Canadian soldiers. She also provides us with a first hand encounter on the living conditions within Canada’s first Chinatown. Canada’s Chinatown was first created as a result of the enlistment of Chinese railway workers and the gold rush. Born in Hong Kong, Mary Kobong arrived in Canada as a young girl with her family. Being British subjects from Hong Kong, her father was able to establish a stable connection within Canada and overcome the challenges offered to them by the Canadian custom. As Mary ventured into the Victoria harbour, which connected the city, she saw a frightful and depressing sight. She witnessed over a hundred Chinese “coolies” being held
Completed in 2008-2009 | Released on April 13, 2010
down at the floating harbour as they awaited entry into Canada. With little skill past their physical abilities, these “coolies” could be forced to wait for days before receiving a response from the Canadian custom officers. Most of them would eventually be deported back to China in overcrowded ships with most of their belongings confiscated by the authorities. As these desperate men fought on top of each other’s bodies in order to catch the attention of the wandering customs officer, Mary felt extremely lucky to be able to depend on a man of her father’s statue. She understood that survival in Canada would ultimately depend on the connections with established Chinese individuals within the community and would ultimately mean a limited and harsh life. Mary’s family moved into Chinatown in Victoria BC. She describes the environment as a solidified community in which a certain refuge was established for Chinese of all backgrounds. Survival of individuals depended on those who held finer positions within Canadian society. Of course, most Chinese were limited within the boundaries of Chinatown but the secluded hovel held connections with the boarder Canadian society. People warned and protected their fellow Chinese from inspections and authorities who were bent on the agenda of deportation. Within the boundaries of protection were facilities and complexes that mocked the popular lifestyles back home. Within the hierarchy which emerged within the seclusion was an underworld invisible to the outside but hints of native culture were maintained for those who lived on the inside. People were encouraged to share their talents as the community set up troupes of Chinese opera and traditional stand-up comedy. There were even distinctive shows created to entertain children of these groups. Mary often spoke of a man she admired who rose to fame as a local Chinese comedian as well as a master acrobatic. The man she describes would even teach Kung Fu as a form of physical protection to the local people. As China grew in size, the diversity and complexity of the society also grew with it. Even opium became popular in hidden dens along the concealed alleys of its busy streets. Mary’s self-determining and self-sufficient character traces its routes back the nature of her family, who unlike most other Chinese at the time, were Christians. Although her father had initially earned a reputable status within the self-sufficient boundaries of Victoria’s Chinatown, his passion for self-determination would take him beyond the 2
Completed in 2008-2009 | Released on April 13, 2010
boundaries of the Chinese community. One must understand that given the small percentage of Chinese Canadians living within a white-dominated society, each Chinese person were usually seen as ambassadors of his or her heritage and community. Mary’s father left Chinatown behind and moved into a neighbourhood dominated by local “White” Canadians. Leaving behind the haven meant that he would need to work hard in order to overcome negative stereotypes and earn a reputation among a population who generally viewed the Chinese as a festering nuisance who functioned outside the boundaries of Canadian Law. Furthermore, Mary’s father’s reputation within his new neighbourhood was ever more important for his watch maintenance business. Mary moved into a small dwelling behind the watch shop, as the business itself became the source of the family’s wellbeing. As her father worked day and night to establish the business’s reputation, Mary would become the backbone of the family’s logistic system. This however, did not receive positive reactions from the Chinese community living in Chinatown. The community who was already enraged at the Christian identity of her family, held further reasons to affront them. Mary describes her unpleasant trips to the church, as the family was obligated to pass by Chinatown on route to the Church. Men stood outside and awaited for the passing by of her family, as they would ambush her family with insults and slurs. Nevertheless, Mary informed me that she was not deterred by their presence and carried out her church visits consistently. Although Mary was the youngest child in her family, her two sisters took on the role of authorities figures and left most of the family chores to her. Reminiscing about her childhood, Mary often compared herself to a Confucian valued Cinderella with an extremely abusive second sister. Mary 3
describes her daily routine as comprising of “chores before dawn” and “late night clean ups”. Her activities ranged from preparing hot shaving water for her father, cleaning the store, and doing the laundry. Nevertheless, with her consistent and dedicated help, her father was able properly establish the family business and through it he become a respected man of the community. Mary had helped her father pioneer the image of Chinese Canadians outside the isolation of Chinatown and in turn spread the positive image of Chinese people within the eyes of local Canadians. Mary’s life along with that of the entire Chinese community took a downbeat turn during the 1930s with the outbreak of tuberculosis. The Chinese community met the brunt of the disease with almost no anticipation and as a result, suffered considerably. Mary describes how nearly all of Chinatown was wiped out by the illness and that the once busy streets were reduced to abandoned shops and empty walkways. The disease that transformed Chinatown to the image of a ghost town left families shattered with orphans and widows beyond numbers. Like many other popular diseases, the children were the first to fall victim with the elderly following not far behind. Middle-aged citizens grieved and buried their dead with anxiety and fear, bearing in mind that they might very likely follow. It was during this period of time that Mary lost her two sisters. She was now the only girl left in the family and therefore took on the role to care for her mother. Mary worked efficiently and rigidly to aid her family’s hardship. Outside the Chinese community, although heavily battered, did not falter completely. The community hungon in hope and sought spiritual comfort in a diverse range of beliefs. Mary describes the recovery of the community as well as her family as a long but definite struggle.
Completed in 2008-2009 | Released on April 13, 2010
Mary’s life took a change with the arrival of World War II. While working a stable job fixing watches at her father’s store, Mary viewed the possibility of enlistment within the Canadian Army as an opportunity of a lifetime. Simply put, Mary could no longer bare the oppression she suffered under the authoritative care of her sisters. She viewed the military as an opportunity to enter a foreign realm, much like how her father ventured out of Chinatown years ago. However, like her father’s struggle in Victoria, the military offered many unwanted challenges. Not only was it extremely uncommon for a non-white individual to enlist into Canada’s military life, but also it was even more uncommon for a non-white female. Mary understood that beyond the reactionary responses of her family she would have to deal with two physical differences, which weighed against her within military life. But Mary’s response to such challenge was one of unprecedented courage and inspiration. Drawing much motivation from her father’s independence and determination, Mary overcame her fears and enlisted in an infantry regiment in Victoria BC. Mary was pleased to discover that she, like her father, held a skill in which was able transform her hard work into a reputable result. Mary held the gift for working with mechanical tools. She was able to repair modern weapons of all types and became renowned for her ability to repair rifles. Throughout her training and her posting during the war, Mary would excel above her peers in the military skill taught to her by her superiors and act with extraordinary independence and leadership. Mary’s brother John Ko Bong joined the army after Mary enlisted. He became apart of a specially selected assault group called “Oblivion”, trained to infiltrate Japanese occupied Hong Kong. Mary formed a close relationship with her brother after the war and their records are both stored in the Canadian War museum.
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Completed in 2008-2009 | Released on April 13, 2010
With the Japanese finally defeated in the summer of 1945, Mary Kobong returned home as one of the first Chinese Canadian military service woman within the Canadian army. She returned to her father with an admirable reputation that she had accumulated for herself. Mary Kobong, like her father, had not only overcome early racial stenotypes but has set a fine example for not only Asian Diaspora but for all Canadians as a model citizen, who refuses reliance and achieves her dreams through hard work. Today Mary lives by herself and continues to follow her own ideals as an independent woman. - Written by Han Li ** Please note that all information mentioned were obtained through an interview with Mary Kobong herself. Interview conducted by Han Li and Trinh Quan in 2009. - Layout designed by Trinh Quan
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Completed in 2008-2009 | Released on April 13, 2010