The Royal B.C. Museum (RBCM) has unveiled a new display in honour of Chinese-Canadian nurses as they continue to refine a new approach to the Old Town exhibit.
The display was unveiled on April 3 and was designed to highlight the challenges faced by Chinese women in the early 1900s. It honours the pioneering work of two Chinese-Canadian nurses, Anna Fong Dickman and Rebecca Leung.
鈥淎s B.C.鈥檚 provincial museum, we are honoured to partner with and support the Victoria Chinatown Museum; sharing these powerful stories of resilience and determination,鈥� says Tracey Drake, CEO of the RBCM.
鈥淭his display sheds light on the difficult realities of racism faced by Chinese-Canadian women in the workplace during the early 1900s, and honours the courage of those who broke barriers, paving the way for future generations.鈥�
Leung was the first Chinese-Canadian nurse to train and practice in Victoria, graduating from St. Joseph's School of Nursing in 1943 and working at St. Joseph's Hospital until moving to Vancouver after meeting her husband.
Fong Dickman was the first Chinese-Canadian registered nurse in the province, following completion of her training at Nanaimo General Hospital in 1929. But despite graduating, Dickman was rejected by four hospitals due to her ethnicity. She wasn鈥檛 hired until two years later, in 1931, when she was brought on at King鈥檚 Daughters Hospital in Duncan.
The display features a collection of personal belongings, photographs, media displays, textbooks and notes, including the uniforms worn by Rebecca Leung.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important to note that it wasn鈥檛 easy for different BIPOC folks, especially for Chinese Canadians,鈥� said Grace Wong Sneddon, the chair of the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society (VCMS).
鈥淏ut the past really matters, and we hope that by telling these stories in a real personal way that future generations understand that there were hard-fought battles and we鈥檙e still not there yet.鈥�
The display, which contains uniforms and other items owned by the two nurses, was shared with the RBCM by the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society, when they told some visiting RBCM representatives that they would be temporarily moving the display.
The VCMS first acquired the materials from Paulanne Wyman, the daughter-in-law of Rebecca Leung, one of the featured nurses. Wyman and Leung's niece Darlene Wong each attended the event, providing a rare moment of dialogue between the past and present.
Wyman says she never thought that her family's story would be acknowledged in such a way.
鈥淩ebecca was always so proud of her accomplishment, and I think she would just be so proud right now,鈥� she said.
鈥淚鈥檓 very glad Rebecca kept everything. It was quite the discovery after she left that I came across a lot of the memorabilia.鈥�
Wong added she felt quite 鈥渉onoured鈥� as well.
The pair hopes that the display will stand as a testament to the struggles and achievements of their family and others.
鈥淚 really hope that it serves as a reminder for us to be kinder and more inclusive to everybody today.鈥�
The display marks the first collaboration between the RBCM and the VCMS, and Wong Sneddon hopes it will mark the beginning of a fruitful relationship between the two museums.
The display is the latest addition to the Old Town, New Approach exhibit and can be found on the third floor of the RBCM.
