Cultivating Connections: The Making of Chinese Prairie Canada

In the late 1870s, thousands of Chinese men left coastal British Columbia and the western United States and headed east. For these men, the Prairies were a land of opportunity; there, they could open shops and potentially earn enough money to become merchants. The result of almost a decade’s research and more than three hundred interviews, Cultivating Connections tells the stories of some of Prairie Canada's Chinese settlers – men and women from various generations who navigated cultural difference. These stories reveal the critical importance of networks in coping with experiences of racism and establishing a successful life on the Prairies. This book offers an incisive look at the organizations, relationships, and ties that were critical in forging and sustaining life – yet it also serves as a remarkable record of the voices of some of the Prairies’ most resilient and resourceful pioneers.