Hum, Doug
Douglas (Doug) Wing Dock Hum was born in Toronto, Ontario. His mother, Tuey Ping Lee-Hum, traveled from China to Vancouver, British Columbia in 1937 as a member of a touring Cantonese Opera troupe. Tuey Ping Lee-Hum played lead male roles for the Chinese Freemason-sponsored Jin Wah Sing opera troupe, performing in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, Quebec. The performances raised funds for Chinese refugee relief through the Red Cross and called attention to the Japanese invasion of China. After touring with the troupe, she settled in Toronto, where she met and married Doug’s father, Hum See Tong, and performed with the Jin Hong Sing opera troupe. As a child, Doug accompanied his mother to New York City, USA, for three or four years while the Jin Hong Sing performed for Chinese American audiences. In his adult life, Doug Hum has been devoted to serving Toronto’s Chinese community; he has worked in various roles at University Settlement, a social service centre located near Toronto’s downtown Chinatown. He has also worked as a social worker and community liaison for Jack Layton, when Layton was first elected Toronto City Councillor in 1982. At the time of the interview, Doug resided in Toronto with his wife Fern.
In this photo, Tuey Ping Lee-Hum performs for a Canadian audience in 1938. Tuey Ping Lee-Hum came to Canada from China as a member of a traveling Cantonese opera troupe. Traditionally, men played both male and female opera roles, but starting in the 1920s, women began performing on stage. It was not unusual for women to play male roles (and it became common practice that either gender could play each other’s roles). Tuey Ping Lee-Hum played mostly male roles because, as her son Doug Hum claims, she was a person who ‘liked to be in charge.’ Despite her small stature, she had a commanding presence on stage.
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