Quon, Emma
Emma Quon (née Lee) was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. Her father immigrated to Canada in 1898 and her mother in 1913. Emma had a busy social life in Montreal, taking part in many church and extra-curricular activities. She married Harry Quon in the late 1930s, and the young couple ran an inn in Port McNicoll, Ontario. After returning to Montreal, Emma became very active in community work as a founding member of the Canadian Chinese Cultural Society of Montreal, a member of the Credit Women’s Breakfast Club, and as part of a group committed to the re-location of the Chinese Hospital. In 1996, Emma moved to Alberta to be close to her daughter.
‘I think we can hold our heads up and say we have doctors and lawyers and nurses and researchers, all kinds of people who are well known in their particular professions.’
In this clip, Emma Quon presents professional employment as an indicator of the positive evolution in the rights of Chinese Canadians. She attributes the inclusion of Chinese Canadians in important roles in a variety of fields to the emphasis she believes Chinese families put on education.
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