Passage to Promise Land: Book Launch for Hon. Vivienne Poy successfully held

The book launch of Hon. Vivienne Poy was successfully held at Glendon Hall, Glendon College of York University on Wednesday, September 25, 2013. The event was co-organized by Chinese Professionals Association of Canada, Glendon School of Public and International Affairs and Glendon School of Translation of York University.

Spanning more than six decades, Passage to Promise Land is a revealing study of Chinese immigration to Canada from the end of the Second World War to the present day. Tracing the evolution of immigration policy through the stories of Chinese immigrant women, Poy captures the social, political, and ethnic tensions of the period. Through their stories we learn about Chinese settlement experience, how the Chinese community developed alongside changes in immigration regulations, and why the immigration of Chinese families to Canada became commonplace in the 1970s. Passage to Promise Land details the important events along the way through the voices of the women themselves.

“Passage to Promise Land is an inspirational book about cross continental life experience of Chinese Canadian women, their ethnic voice, and their struggles for the search for their identities as wife, mother, sister, but foremost as a woman and as a human being. ” said Xueqing Xu, Associate Professor of language, literature and linguistics of York University.

The Poet Anna Yin wrote a poem about the book, “each step took courage, each choice made difference, each page had a voice, each voice connected to the others…”; “Passage to Promise land was built with tears and laughter, with hard work and tough acceptance.”

Dr. Vivienne Poy is Chancellor Emerita of University of Toronto and was the first Canadian of Asian descent to be appointed to the Senate of Canada. She has an MA and a Ph.D. in history. “I called the book Passage to Promise Land because ‘Promise Land’ is the name I gave Canada. Immigrants coming here call it the land of promise, simply, it means immigration to Canada” she said.

Mr. Richard Lim, the President of CPAC Education Foundation, and Mr. Ken McRobers, the Principal of Glendon College of York University, made welcome remarks and praised Ms. Poy for her book and the important work she has done as a senator.

Group photo on Vivienne Poy’s book launch