Hey Agnes, I just want to say that your blog post really resonated with me. I have been going to Downtown Toronto’s Chinatown ever since I was young. Also, as an Asian Canadian who is part Chinese and had grown up in Toronto, it is nice to learn more about the prior experiences of Chinese Canadians.
All I have ever known about the Chinatown located in Downtown Toronto is its authenticity — Chinese restaurants that serve authentic items on their menus. Because of this, I like that you explained how the ‘First Chinatown’, or ‘The Ward’ were mostly ‘Chop Suey’ restaurants that cater mostly to the White Canadian population.
I believe it represents the change of Canada’s social attitudes, in that it had shifted from an exclusive, white-dominating society to one that upholds the existence of a ‘cultural mosaic’, a society that is more inclusive and accepting.
