Standing in the Doorway: Lived Histories & Experiences of the Chinese Community

Governor General's History Award, 2024 for "Standing in the Doorway"

 

Started in 1996 by Canada's National History Society, "The Governor General’s History Awards are Canada’s top honours in the field of history and heritage. They celebrate the very best in Canadian achievements to ensure our national past has a vibrant presence in our society today." Together with Tribute to Early Chinese Immigrants Foundation Canada, Markham Museum, and York Region District School Board Museum & Archives, are the recipient of the 2024 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Community Programming.

This collaborative, multi-faceted project commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, while also acknowledging and celebrating the many contributions of the Chinese community in York Region.  This national recognition gives distinction and honourable acknowledgement to the hundreds of contributors, advisors, lenders, students and educators that gave their time, shared their memories and experiences for the development of this project. Thank you!

Please read more about the Governor General's History Awards and the other award winners.

From left to right, Left to right, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Heritage Trust John Ecker, Nancy Siew, Janet Reid, Rebekah Mitchell, and the Honourable Edith Dumont, representing the Standing in the Doorway: Lived Histories & Experiences of the Chinese Community initiative, recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership // Photo Credit: Dahlia Katz

 

The Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Awards "honour the people who uphold the integrity of the heritage sector, and the achievements born from their dedication." We would like to thank our community for helping us deliver this exhibition, lending hundreds of objects, along with their stories of resilience and their valuable time. We would also like to thank the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and the Ontario Heritage Trust for the honour and recognition of this award.

Nokiidaa Public School students celebrate the exhibition opening at Markham Museum with YRDSB Board of Trustees Chair, Ron Lynn.

 

Markham Museum and the YRDSB Museum & Archives are delighted to announce that the exhibition “Standing In the Doorway: Lived Histories and Experiences of the Chinese Community” has received the 2024 Canadian Museum Association’s prestigious Outstanding Achievement, Audience Outreach award. The CMA Outstanding Achievement in Audience Outreach “recognizes programming that advances knowledge and understanding by reaching new audiences or enhancing existing ones.”

This community-driven exhibition could not have been possible without the active participation and engagement of over 500 members of the Chinese community in York Region. With over 300 community loans, this project was a sincere collaboration of community partners who trusted our institutions to present this history in an educational and appropriate manner.

We wholeheartedly thank the many advisors, participants, educators, students, and families that engaged in this exhibit. Thank you to the Canadian Museums Association for this award.

Lender Peter Quan looks at his class photograph at Markham Museum, 2023.

 

The AAO Institutional Award is given to an "archival institution that has contributed significantly to the advancement of the archival field or community, or has demonstrated a significant level of innovation and imagination in the establishment of outstanding or model programs or services." The 2024 AAO Institutional Award was presented the York Region District School Board Museum & Archives and the Markham Museum, "in recognition of the extraordinary and impactful community-driven exhibition which uses archival material to celebrate an important, historically marginalized, community and which develops inter-generational and cross-cultural connections and understanding."

Standing in the Doorway was developed in collaboration with community members, the Markham Museum and YRDSB. The exhibition features artifacts, photographs and stories from York Region community members, and contributors from York Region District School Board students and educators. 

Many archives and museums across Canada supported this project, and provided research, records and community connections. Using loaned archival images, records, artifacts, and oral history interviews with community members, this exhibition acknowledges the evidence of anti-Chinese racism and discrimination but also celebrates the Chinese residents of York Region and their stories of resilience and perseverance.

In addition to the museums and archives, our institutions are extremely indebted and thankful to the many, many families who contributed their loans of personal images and documents, and who shared stories and memories. This exhibition’s success was the result of the dedication of our many advisors, educators, students, participants and lenders. 

Thank you to the Archives Association of Ontario for this recognition!

School dragon boat racing jerseys from Markville Secondary School, Bayview Secondary School and Pierre Elliot Trudeau High School on display at Markham Museum, 2023.

 

The OMA Award of Excellence are designed to recognize outstanding contributions, advance the museum profession in Ontario and encourage a high standard of excellence in the museum field. Markham Museum and York Region District School Board Museum & Archives were thrilled to be presented the OMA Award of Excellence in Programs (2024). Standing in the Doorway: Lived Histories and Experiences of the Chinese Community was given this award for its "programming that creatively engages new audiences, or provides exemplary service to existing ones." 

We sincerely thank the youth that were actively engaged in this project, who also involved their parents, guardians and grandparents. We want to deeply express our appreciation to the many educators who contributed countless hours of reading, planning and providing feedback to the overall educator package. This project could never have succeeded in this manner without their support and guidance.

Our institutions thank Katrina Pyke, Coordinator of Museum Operations, Pickering Museum Village for the nomination and the Ontario Museum Association for this award. We also want to recognize the many other phenomenal award winners this year!