Chew, Susan
Susan Chew was born in 1927 in Victoria, British Columbia. Growing up on a farm just outside the city, she and her ten siblings helped their parents, Chew Dang and Yee C. Loo Chew, with the family’s vegetable garden business. She later moved to New Westminster, British Columbia, where she was a successful business owner. In 1956, Susan made headlines in New Westminster, British Columbia, and across the country when she was denied tenancy in an apartment when American buyers of the building found out that she was Chinese. The community rallied around Susan, so the original owners cancelled the sale of the building. Susan was able to move in without further incident. Over the years, Susan has taken on a number of work, community and entrepreneurial roles: as a Cub Scout leader, journalist, hula dance performer, travel agent and tour guide, model, designer, actress, radio host, boutique owner, public speaker and real estate agent. After spending many years in Toronto, Ontario, she now resides in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In this interview, Susan Chew reminisces about growing up with her parents and ten siblings on a farm outside of Victoria, British Columbia. She describes helping her mother with farm work and domestic chores. Susan recalls her years in New Westminster, British Columbia, first helping her sister with her grocery business, then as a business owner of the Handy Market and The Waffle House. She goes on to explain the incidents that led to what she calls ‘the Bermuda House incident,’ when she was denied tenancy in an apartment due to racial prejudice. Susan talks about other types of public attention that she has received over the years, for accomplishments that range from modeling t
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