Yip Sang, a Chinese-Canadian [加籍華人阿壽]
The British and Chinese signed the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, each providing their respective subjects with the right to benefit from full security and protection for their persons and property within each other’s boundaries. Even though China did no openly allow emigration(移居), in 1860 a law was passed which stated that Chinese seeking to work in the British Colonies or other places were at liberty to do so. They had only to ship themselves and their families on board any British vessel at any of the open ports in China. In 1868, another treaty, this one with the United States, gave the Chinese the right to change their home and loyalty from one country to another for the purposes of curiosity, of trade, or as permanent residents, thereby opening the gates for emigration from China.
1842年，中英兩國(guó)簽訂《南京條約》，雙方為各自的國(guó)民提供在彼此的疆域內(nèi)享有人員和財(cái)產(chǎn)受到完全保護(hù)的權(quán)利。盡管中國(guó)沒(méi)有公開(kāi)允許移民出境，但1860年通過(guò)的一條法律規(guī)定尋求在英國(guó)殖民地或其他地方工作的華人有這種移民自由。他們及其家人只要登上在中國(guó)任一個(gè)開(kāi)放港口里的任一艘英國(guó)船只即可。1868年，另一個(gè)條約——一個(gè)與美國(guó)簽訂的條約——給予那些觀光、貿(mào)易或永久定居為目的的華人將家庭及對(duì)國(guó)家的效忠從一個(gè)國(guó)家轉(zhuǎn)移到另一個(gè)國(guó)家的權(quán)利。從而打開(kāi)了從中國(guó)移民出境的大門(mén)。
The gold boom in British Columbia in the 1850’s was the beginning of Chinese immigration from the U.S. into Canada. Many of these early immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong provinces to San Francisco. When they heard of the gold discoveries in British Columbia, many crossed the border into Canada by moving overland through Oregon or arriving by sea in Victoria. When the gold deposits were depleted(用盡,枯竭), these early settler stayed, moving into occupations like gardening, farming, domestic service, road construction, and railway building. By 1871, these were approximately 3,000 Chinese inhabitants in the province, only 53 of whom being women.
1850年不列顛哥倫比亞的淘金熱開(kāi)始了華人從美國(guó)移民到加拿大的歷程。在這些早期移民中間，很多人是從福建省、廣東省乘船到達(dá)舊金山的。當(dāng)聽(tīng)說(shuō)在不列顛哥倫比亞發(fā)現(xiàn)了金礦，很多人從陸路穿越俄勒岡州，過(guò)邊境進(jìn)入加拿大，或者乘船到達(dá)維多利亞港。當(dāng)金礦被淘盡的時(shí)候，這些早期的定居者留了下來(lái)，轉(zhuǎn)而從事園藝、農(nóng)業(yè)、家政服務(wù)、道路和鐵路建設(shè)等行業(yè)。到1871年，這個(gè)省大約有3,000名華裔居民，其中只有53名婦女。
Since Chinese workers were know to be conscientious and reliable, several companies actively recruited them. As a result, it was estimated that 10,000 workers arrived between 1882 and 1884. In an effort to restrict the entry of Chinese immigrants, an act was passed in the Canadian Parliament confining the proportion to one person for every 50 tons of vessel tonnage(船舶的噸數(shù)). A head tax was also imposed. Records of those who paid the head tax are still available for viewing in the National Archives of Canada.
因?yàn)槿A人勞工以勤勞守信聞名，多家公司爭(zhēng)相雇傭他們。結(jié)果，在1882年至1884年期間，估計(jì)來(lái)了10,000名工人。為了有效地限制華人入境，加拿大國(guó)會(huì)通過(guò)了一項(xiàng)法令，限制每50噸排水噸位只能運(yùn)載1人，還征收人頭稅。那些交了人頭稅的人，其檔案至今還可以在加拿大國(guó)家檔案館查閱到。
An article in the Illustrated London News in January 1875 gave some insight into the emigration process of the Chinese by conveying the ideas of changes they might undergo. The author thought the modifications(修改,改造) would be slight and principally external. He believed that, in an attempt to blend in, the Chinese would adopt American language, culture, and dress. However, because the Chinese brought with them a strong sense of their own identity, it wasn’t necessary for them to cultivate a North American way of life, nor did they feel an obligation to abandon their traditions. Much of the article would be considered insulting by today’s standards.
1875年元月刊登在《倫敦新聞畫(huà)報(bào)》上的一篇文章，通過(guò)揭示華人一些觀念的改變，對(duì)移民過(guò)程做了某些深層的透視。其作者認(rèn)為，他們的變化是很小的，而且基本上都是外在的。他相信在努力融入當(dāng)?shù)厣鐣?huì)的過(guò)程中，華人接受了美洲的語(yǔ)言、文化和服飾。然而，因?yàn)槿A人總是帶有一種對(duì)他們自己身份的強(qiáng)烈認(rèn)同感，要他們養(yǎng)成北美的生活方式是沒(méi)有必要的，他們也認(rèn)為沒(méi)有義務(wù)放棄自己的傳統(tǒng)。以今天的標(biāo)準(zhǔn)來(lái)看，這篇文章的大部分內(nèi)容可以被認(rèn)為是帶有侮辱性的。
In the United States, there were two opposing points of view. On one side of the coin, the Chinese were seen as an inexpensive means of providing the manual labor necessary to develop the assets of the country, most often in hazardous occupations. On the other side, there were those who branded them as the “curse” of the nation. Some Americans applauded the Chinese but others condemned them as evil. Some were disturbed by what might happen if all the immigrants decided to stay. Their distress was unfounded however, as most Chinese had no intention of staying. Their greatest wish was to accumulate as much money as possible and return to China.
在美國(guó)，存在兩種對(duì)立的觀點(diǎn)。一方面，華人被看成廉價(jià)的勞動(dòng)力，為這個(gè)國(guó)家的財(cái)富積累提供了必要的人力資源，大多數(shù)通常從事危險(xiǎn)的職業(yè)。另一方面，又有人污蔑他們是這個(gè)國(guó)家的“禍根”。有些美國(guó)人贊揚(yáng)中國(guó)人，另一些人則指責(zé)他們是惡棍。還有些人憂心忡忡于如果所有移民都決定留下來(lái)可能會(huì)發(fā)生的問(wèn)題。然而，他們的擔(dān)心毫無(wú)道理，因?yàn)榇蠖鄶?shù)華人并沒(méi)打算留下來(lái)。他們最大的愿望就是盡可能地?cái)€錢(qián)，然后回到中國(guó)。
Guilds(行會(huì),協(xié)會(huì)) were set up to provide lodging and employment for the emigrants, for a fee of course. The fee ensured that the worker would be paid a decent wage and that his employer would not deceive him. The accumulated fees amounted to a large sum, allowing the Guilds to help those who were ill or out of work. They not only saw that the worker received whatever was due to him, they also made him pay all his debts. The worker wasn’t allowed to return to his own country without a certificate from his agent stating he owned nothing.
為移民提供食宿和就業(yè)的行會(huì)建立了起來(lái)。當(dāng)然，這是要付錢(qián)的。所付費(fèi)用可以保證工人得到合理的工資，不受雇主欺騙。會(huì)費(fèi)累積到很大一筆的時(shí)候，行會(huì)就能夠幫助生病或失業(yè)的人。他們不僅要注意工人是否得到應(yīng)得的收入，還要使他還清所有的債務(wù)。沒(méi)有其代理人出具的無(wú)欠債的證明，工人是不允許回到自己國(guó)家的。
Many Chinese were able to save a portion of their earnings to take with them to their family back home. Often, after workers returned to China, they would revisit North America to accumulate more money. Before being allowed to board a ship in China, however, they had to prove that they were going to their own free will and were under no labor contract. Before the ships set sail. The authorities would visit to guarantee that all on board had their ticket stamped and were not leaving the country against their will.
很多華人能夠存下一部分收入，回家時(shí)帶回他們的祖國(guó)。工人們回到中國(guó)后，常常會(huì)再次到北美掙更多的錢(qián)。然而，在中國(guó)，被允許上船之前，他們必須證明自己是自愿走的，并不是受勞動(dòng)合同的約束。在開(kāi)船之前，當(dāng)局會(huì)上來(lái)檢查，保證船上所有的人都檢過(guò)票，并且不是違反他們的意愿離開(kāi)這個(gè)國(guó)家的。
Yip Sang, born in Canton(廣州舊稱(chēng)) in 1845, left China at the age of nineteen to seek his fortune in America. After arriving in San Francisco in 1864, he earned a living by working first as a dish-washer, then as a cook, and finally as a cigar roller. From the outset, he perceived that if he was patient and could represent the best of his race, his merits would be recognized.
Possibly the attraction of high wages rumored to be offered by Canadian railroad companies roused Yip San to leave San Francisco. He arrived in Vancouver in 1881 and worked on the western portion of the Canadian pacific Railroad from 1882 until 1884, first as a book-keeper, then as a time-keeper, and finally as a paymaster(出納員), before being promoted to Chinese superintendent(主管) for the supply company. The promotion made him responsible for hiring on contract and transporting thousands of men from China to work on the railway line in British Columbia. He supervised(監(jiān)督,管理) some six to seven thousand Chinese workers during the peak of the construction.
阿壽，1845年出生于廣東，19歲時(shí)離開(kāi)中國(guó)到美國(guó)謀生。1864年到達(dá)舊金山后，靠打工過(guò)活，先是當(dāng)洗碗工，然后是廚師，最后是雪茄卷煙工。從一開(kāi)始，他就認(rèn)識(shí)到，只要他有耐心，能夠表現(xiàn)出最佳的能力，就會(huì)實(shí)現(xiàn)他的價(jià)值。也許是受傳聞中加拿大鐵路公司所給的高工資的吸引，阿壽離開(kāi)了舊金山。1881年他到溫哥華。1882年至1884年，他在加拿大太平洋鐵路的西段工作。先是做簿記員，然后是記工員，出納員，最后被提拔為供應(yīng)公司的華人主管。這次晉升使他負(fù)責(zé)雇傭合同的事務(wù)，他把幾千人從中國(guó)運(yùn)送到不列顛哥倫比亞的鐵路線上工作。在建設(shè)高峰期間，他管理的華工達(dá)六、七千人。
In 1885, he returned to China using the money he had saved from his CPR job. He remained there from 1885 until 1888, while there he married four different wives, a regular occurrence at the time for wealthy young men. He and his first wife, Lee She, had a son and a daughter. Lee She became gravely(嚴(yán)重的) ill after their marriage and urged Yip Sang to take another wife, one who could be able to take good care of their children. Wong She, Yip Sang’s second wife, was very young with “sensitive” eyes, but did not meet with the approval of Lee Shee. She insisted he should marry third time, and this time choose someone more suitable to care for the children. Dong She, wife number three, was more mature and had the capacity to supervise the household and the children. Dong Shee convinced Yip Sang to take a fourth wife, Chin She, whose primary role was to be Dong She’s companion. With his four wives, Yip Sang had 23 children, one of whom became the first Chinese Canadian doctor to be recognized in Canada. In 1888, Yip Sang returned to Canada with three wives——Lee She died before they left.
1885年，他用在加拿大太平洋鐵路公司掙的錢(qián)回到中國(guó)，并從1885年住到1888年。在那里，他娶了四個(gè)妻子。那時(shí)，對(duì)富有的年輕人來(lái)說(shuō)這種情況很普遍。他和他的第一位妻子李氏有一個(gè)兒子和一個(gè)女兒。李氏在婚后得了重病，力勸他再娶一位妻子，以便照顧他們的孩子。他的第二位妻子汪氏，很年輕，有一雙“多情”的眼睛，但卻得不到李氏的認(rèn)可。她堅(jiān)持要他再結(jié)第三次婚，這次一定會(huì)選一個(gè)能夠照顧孩子的。第三位妻子董氏比較成熟，有能力管理家務(wù)和照顧孩子。董氏又說(shuō)服他要了第四位妻子金氏，她的主要角色是董氏的幫手。他與他的四個(gè)妻子有二十三個(gè)孩子，其中一個(gè)成為加拿大知名的第一位加籍華人醫(yī)生。他和他的三個(gè)妻子于1888年回到加拿大——李氏在他們走之前已經(jīng)去世。
On his return to Canada he undertook a new enterprise. He became a merchant, opening an import-export business in the heart of Vancouver's Chinatown. Wing Sang Company specialized in goods imported from China. The company provided Chinese Canadians with merchandise(商品) not readily available in Vancouver and exported Canadian foodstuffs(食品) to China.
這次回到加拿大，他創(chuàng)辦了一家新企業(yè)。他成了一位商人，在溫哥華唐人街的中心地段開(kāi)了一家進(jìn)出口公司。Wing Sang公司的業(yè)務(wù)是從中國(guó)進(jìn)口貨物。該公司為華裔加拿大人供應(yīng)在溫哥華不容易買(mǎi)到的商品，并把加拿大的食品出口到中國(guó)。
His formula of pouring as much money as he could afford into building and expansion couldn’t help but succeed. In 1889, Yip Sang bought land on Pender Street in Chinatown and began construction of a complex, which still stands today. Initially(最初) being a two-story building with a ground floor storefront and a second floor residence, it was probably the first in Chinatown to be built of durable brick. Customers of the store walked on wooden platforms covering the unpaved dirt streets to avoid tracking the dust and mud into the building.
他傾其所有投資房地產(chǎn)的方式和擴(kuò)展經(jīng)營(yíng)的方法大獲成功。1889年，阿壽在唐人街的彭得街買(mǎi)地，開(kāi)始建一座綜合大樓，這座大樓至今猶在。最初是一座兩層大樓，一樓作店面，二樓住人，這也許是唐人街上用耐用磚建造的第一座樓房。顧客進(jìn)商店前，要走過(guò)鋪在土路街上的木板平臺(tái)，以免把灰塵和泥土帶進(jìn)屋里。
With the tone of success, Yip Sang added to his building. In 1901, he widened the street to accommodate three more shops, each with a second story above. He also added a third floor to the original building in the same year. In 1912, to house both his growing family and his business, he built a new six-story brick building behind the old one and connected to it by a narrow corridor at ground level, and by an enclosed stairway extension on the third floor that stretched above the alley between the two buildings. Most of the new building was used to warehouse goods for the import/export business.
伴隨成功的步伐，阿壽擴(kuò)建了他的房屋。1901年，他加寬了街道以適應(yīng)另外三個(gè)商店的需要，每個(gè)都是兩層的。同年，他在原來(lái)的房屋上加了第三層。1912年，為滿足不斷增長(zhǎng)的家庭和事業(yè)的用房需要，他在舊房子的后面建了一座六層的磚房。兩座房屋之間的地面有個(gè)狹小的走廊相連，在三樓上架設(shè)了一個(gè)跨過(guò)兩座樓之間小巷的樓梯。大多數(shù)房間用于儲(chǔ)存進(jìn)出口貨物。
Yip Sang’s involvement(卷入) with shipping companies and his own business demonstrated his understanding of the freight industry and his ability to work fluently in both Chinese and English languages. In 1889, the CPR rehired Yip Sang to act as their Chinese Passenger Agent for their Canadian Steamship Line, a position he held until his death in 1927 at the age of 82.
阿壽與船運(yùn)公司的聯(lián)系以及他自己的事業(yè)，展示了他對(duì)運(yùn)輸業(yè)的了解和熟練使用漢語(yǔ)和英語(yǔ)工作的能力。1889年，加拿大太平洋鐵路公司再次請(qǐng)他擔(dān)任加拿大輪船公司的華人旅客代理。他擔(dān)任這個(gè)職務(wù)一直到1927年82歲去世時(shí)為止。
The demand for salted herring(鯡魚(yú)) in china, in conjunction with huge catches being brought in by the fishing fleet, spurred Yip Sang to build a fish packing plant in Nanaimo. The success of this plant led to the opening of a second plant on Vancouver Island soon afterward. Both plants were staffed by large numbers of Chinese workers and helped establish sizeable(相當(dāng)大的) Chinese community in Nanaimo’s downtown core.
對(duì)中國(guó)咸鯡魚(yú)的大量需求，再加上漁船船隊(duì)帶回來(lái)的巨大捕獲量，促使阿壽在南奈莫建立了魚(yú)片加工廠。這個(gè)廠的成功又促使他不久就在溫哥華島開(kāi)了第二家。兩個(gè)廠雇傭了大量的華工，幫助在南奈莫城中心建立了一個(gè)很大的華人社區(qū)。
Consistent with Yip Sang’s devotion to growth and improvement, he promoted and fostered(支持) education. Not only did he found the Ok Kuo Night School, he also served as its principal for over ten years. His children went to public school, but they also received schooling at home from tutors hired from Hong Kong to teach them Chinese. Yip Sang took great pleasure in quizzing his offspring(子女,后代) about their lessons. His philosophy was that by moderating the children’s Canadian education with fundamental Chinese, the equation would result in well-rounded, responsible citizens.
與對(duì)事業(yè)發(fā)展壯大的投入相一致的是，阿壽支持和鼓勵(lì)教育。他不僅建了Ok Kuo夜校，還擔(dān)任這所學(xué)校的校長(zhǎng)達(dá)十多年。他的孩子們進(jìn)的是公立學(xué)校，但他們?cè)诩疫€要接受教育。他從香港雇來(lái)家庭教師教他們漢語(yǔ)。阿壽以極大的興致關(guān)心孩子們的學(xué)習(xí)。他的哲學(xué)是，把基礎(chǔ)漢語(yǔ)加入到孩子們的加拿大教育中，綜合起來(lái)將培養(yǎng)出更全面、更負(fù)責(zé)的公民。
As a keen advocate of education in Canada, Yip Sang also sponsored education abroad in China. The ling-nan University and Toi-shan Middle School in his hometown of Canton were established with his help.
作為一個(gè)加拿大教育的熱心倡導(dǎo)者，身在國(guó)外的阿壽還贊助中國(guó)的教育。他家鄉(xiāng)廣東的Ling-nan大學(xué)和Toi-shan中學(xué)就是在他的幫助下建立的。
Throughout his life, he maintained an active role in Vancouver’s Chinatown. He was one of eleven men, his contemporaries, who founded the Chinese Benevolent(慈善的) Association, one component of which looked after the ill, elderly or destitute(貧困的) Chinese in the absence of their families.
縱觀他的一生，他始終是溫哥華唐人街里的活躍人物。他是當(dāng)時(shí)一起建立華人慈善協(xié)會(huì)的十一個(gè)人之一，協(xié)會(huì)有一個(gè)部門(mén)是照顧無(wú)家可歸的生病、年邁或有困難的華人的。
When he died at the age of 82, Yip Sang was not only one of the wealthiest merchants in Vancouver; he was also considered a pillar of the community. Yip Sang’s descendants(后裔,后代) continue to honor his values and remain active in the Vancouver Community.
在他82歲去世的時(shí)候，阿壽不僅是溫哥華最富有的人之一，還被認(rèn)為是社會(huì)的棟梁。阿壽的后代一直以他的成熟為榮，繼續(xù)在溫哥華社會(huì)中發(fā)揮著積極的作用。
The gold boom in British Columbia in the 1850’s was the beginning of Chinese immigration from the U.S. into Canada. Many of these early immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong provinces to San Francisco. When they heard of the gold discoveries in British Columbia, many crossed the border into Canada by moving overland through Oregon or arriving by sea in Victoria. When the gold deposits were depleted(用盡,枯竭), these early settler stayed, moving into occupations like gardening, farming, domestic service, road construction, and railway building. By 1871, these were approximately 3,000 Chinese inhabitants in the province, only 53 of whom being women.
Since Chinese workers were know to be conscientious and reliable, several companies actively recruited them. As a result, it was estimated that 10,000 workers arrived between 1882 and 1884. In an effort to restrict the entry of Chinese immigrants, an act was passed in the Canadian Parliament confining the proportion to one person for every 50 tons of vessel tonnage(船舶的噸數(shù)). A head tax was also imposed. Records of those who paid the head tax are still available for viewing in the National Archives of Canada.
An article in the Illustrated London News in January 1875 gave some insight into the emigration process of the Chinese by conveying the ideas of changes they might undergo. The author thought the modifications(修改,改造) would be slight and principally external. He believed that, in an attempt to blend in, the Chinese would adopt American language, culture, and dress. However, because the Chinese brought with them a strong sense of their own identity, it wasn’t necessary for them to cultivate a North American way of life, nor did they feel an obligation to abandon their traditions. Much of the article would be considered insulting by today’s standards.
In the United States, there were two opposing points of view. On one side of the coin, the Chinese were seen as an inexpensive means of providing the manual labor necessary to develop the assets of the country, most often in hazardous occupations. On the other side, there were those who branded them as the “curse” of the nation. Some Americans applauded the Chinese but others condemned them as evil. Some were disturbed by what might happen if all the immigrants decided to stay. Their distress was unfounded however, as most Chinese had no intention of staying. Their greatest wish was to accumulate as much money as possible and return to China.
Guilds(行會(huì),協(xié)會(huì)) were set up to provide lodging and employment for the emigrants, for a fee of course. The fee ensured that the worker would be paid a decent wage and that his employer would not deceive him. The accumulated fees amounted to a large sum, allowing the Guilds to help those who were ill or out of work. They not only saw that the worker received whatever was due to him, they also made him pay all his debts. The worker wasn’t allowed to return to his own country without a certificate from his agent stating he owned nothing.
Many Chinese were able to save a portion of their earnings to take with them to their family back home. Often, after workers returned to China, they would revisit North America to accumulate more money. Before being allowed to board a ship in China, however, they had to prove that they were going to their own free will and were under no labor contract. Before the ships set sail. The authorities would visit to guarantee that all on board had their ticket stamped and were not leaving the country against their will.
Yip Sang, born in Canton(廣州舊稱(chēng)) in 1845, left China at the age of nineteen to seek his fortune in America. After arriving in San Francisco in 1864, he earned a living by working first as a dish-washer, then as a cook, and finally as a cigar roller. From the outset, he perceived that if he was patient and could represent the best of his race, his merits would be recognized.
Possibly the attraction of high wages rumored to be offered by Canadian railroad companies roused Yip San to leave San Francisco. He arrived in Vancouver in 1881 and worked on the western portion of the Canadian pacific Railroad from 1882 until 1884, first as a book-keeper, then as a time-keeper, and finally as a paymaster(出納員), before being promoted to Chinese superintendent(主管) for the supply company. The promotion made him responsible for hiring on contract and transporting thousands of men from China to work on the railway line in British Columbia. He supervised(監(jiān)督,管理) some six to seven thousand Chinese workers during the peak of the construction.
In 1885, he returned to China using the money he had saved from his CPR job. He remained there from 1885 until 1888, while there he married four different wives, a regular occurrence at the time for wealthy young men. He and his first wife, Lee She, had a son and a daughter. Lee She became gravely(嚴(yán)重的) ill after their marriage and urged Yip Sang to take another wife, one who could be able to take good care of their children. Wong She, Yip Sang’s second wife, was very young with “sensitive” eyes, but did not meet with the approval of Lee Shee. She insisted he should marry third time, and this time choose someone more suitable to care for the children. Dong She, wife number three, was more mature and had the capacity to supervise the household and the children. Dong Shee convinced Yip Sang to take a fourth wife, Chin She, whose primary role was to be Dong She’s companion. With his four wives, Yip Sang had 23 children, one of whom became the first Chinese Canadian doctor to be recognized in Canada. In 1888, Yip Sang returned to Canada with three wives——Lee She died before they left.
On his return to Canada he undertook a new enterprise. He became a merchant, opening an import-export business in the heart of Vancouver's Chinatown. Wing Sang Company specialized in goods imported from China. The company provided Chinese Canadians with merchandise(商品) not readily available in Vancouver and exported Canadian foodstuffs(食品) to China.
His formula of pouring as much money as he could afford into building and expansion couldn’t help but succeed. In 1889, Yip Sang bought land on Pender Street in Chinatown and began construction of a complex, which still stands today. Initially(最初) being a two-story building with a ground floor storefront and a second floor residence, it was probably the first in Chinatown to be built of durable brick. Customers of the store walked on wooden platforms covering the unpaved dirt streets to avoid tracking the dust and mud into the building.
With the tone of success, Yip Sang added to his building. In 1901, he widened the street to accommodate three more shops, each with a second story above. He also added a third floor to the original building in the same year. In 1912, to house both his growing family and his business, he built a new six-story brick building behind the old one and connected to it by a narrow corridor at ground level, and by an enclosed stairway extension on the third floor that stretched above the alley between the two buildings. Most of the new building was used to warehouse goods for the import/export business.
Yip Sang’s involvement(卷入) with shipping companies and his own business demonstrated his understanding of the freight industry and his ability to work fluently in both Chinese and English languages. In 1889, the CPR rehired Yip Sang to act as their Chinese Passenger Agent for their Canadian Steamship Line, a position he held until his death in 1927 at the age of 82.
The demand for salted herring(鯡魚(yú)) in china, in conjunction with huge catches being brought in by the fishing fleet, spurred Yip Sang to build a fish packing plant in Nanaimo. The success of this plant led to the opening of a second plant on Vancouver Island soon afterward. Both plants were staffed by large numbers of Chinese workers and helped establish sizeable(相當(dāng)大的) Chinese community in Nanaimo’s downtown core.
Consistent with Yip Sang’s devotion to growth and improvement, he promoted and fostered(支持) education. Not only did he found the Ok Kuo Night School, he also served as its principal for over ten years. His children went to public school, but they also received schooling at home from tutors hired from Hong Kong to teach them Chinese. Yip Sang took great pleasure in quizzing his offspring(子女,后代) about their lessons. His philosophy was that by moderating the children’s Canadian education with fundamental Chinese, the equation would result in well-rounded, responsible citizens.
As a keen advocate of education in Canada, Yip Sang also sponsored education abroad in China. The ling-nan University and Toi-shan Middle School in his hometown of Canton were established with his help.
Throughout his life, he maintained an active role in Vancouver’s Chinatown. He was one of eleven men, his contemporaries, who founded the Chinese Benevolent(慈善的) Association, one component of which looked after the ill, elderly or destitute(貧困的) Chinese in the absence of their families.
When he died at the age of 82, Yip Sang was not only one of the wealthiest merchants in Vancouver; he was also considered a pillar of the community. Yip Sang’s descendants(后裔,后代) continue to honor his values and remain active in the Vancouver Community.
