Guest Speaker: May Q. Wong (Chinese-Canadian author of two non-fiction books)

This meeting our guest will be May Q. Wong, a Chinese Canadian author of two non-fiction books.

She will be speaking about A Cowherd in Paradise: One Family’s Struggle Against Canada’s Chinese Exclusion Laws (2nd edition Brindle & Glass, 2026).

Her other book, City in Colour: Rediscovered Stories of Victoria’s Multicultural Past (TouchWood Editions, 2018), includes little known stories about pioneering individuals and their communities of Métis, Hawaiian, Black, Jewish, Chinese, and Japanese origin.

May is a graduate of McGill University and the University of Victoria. She started writing after retiring from a career in the British Columbia Public Service. In addition to chronicling the lives of “ordinary people,” May creates through knitting, painting, cooking, and sewing, and practices Kenpo Karate as a 2nd degree Black Belt.

She feels fortunate to divide her time between Australia and Canada. You can learn more about May at www.MayQWong.com

This will be a great opportunity to learn about the Chinese migrant experience in Canada and the parallels to Australia.

Come along and join us as we research our Chinese Australian ancestors in a collaborative, friendly and engaging research group. Make sure you have your questions ready and also be ready to assist others if you are able to as this is the basis of what all SAG Groups are about - people helping other people with ideas and suggestions about their family research. 

Skill level:  All - Beginners welcome

Lead: Hilda Maclean