Wong, Foon Sien National Historic Person
Vancouver, British Columbia
Wong Foon Sien receiving a document, 1952
(© William Cunningham photograph, Vancouver Public Library 60589 | Photographe William Cunningham, Bibliothèque Publique de Vancouver 60589)
Address :
108 East Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2008-08-26
Life Date:
1899 to 1971
Other Name(s):
-
Wong Foon Sien
(Designation Name)
-
Wong Mun Poo
(Other Name)
Research Report Number:
2007-094
Importance:
Ardent activist for the recognition of the rights of the Chinese-Canadian community and other minorities
Plaque(s)
This journalist, labour activist, and community leader was instrumental in the campaign to lift the remaining immigration restrictions following the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1947. His persistent lobbying enabled hundreds of families of Chinese origin to reunite in Canada. Though at times a controversial figure, he acted as a conciliatory force within Vancouver's Chinese-Canadian community, helping to strengthen it. By devoting his time and effort to a range of civil and human rights organizations, Wong Foon Sien helped advance the development of a more tolerant society.