Tong, Poy
Poy Tong was born in Guangdong Province, China. His mother, Hew Ting, raised her three sons in China while her husband, Tung Shew Nan (also known as Dong Shou), worked overseas in Canada. After The Chinese Immigration Act, 1923 was repealed, Hew Ting and her sons applied to come to Canada. Only she and Poy were approved to receive visas because her other sons’ answers were deemed unacceptable by immigration officials at the Canadian Consulate in Hong Kong. Hew Ting waited six months in the hopes that the family could travel together, but was forced to leave behind her two sons in China when Canadian immigration threatened to cancel the visas. After making appeals to Canadian Immigration, the Tungs were reunited with their remaining sons, who joined the family months later in the town of Delhi, Ontario. The Tungs lived above the family’s restaurant and each family member was expected to contribute to the successful operation of the business. After moving to Toronto as an adult, Poy Tong worked for Canada Post and raised a family with his wife, Yuen Har. At the time of the interview, Poy Tong was a volunteer in school literacy programs.
‘My mother went in first and my older brother second, and me third. In the end they only allow me to come with her because my answers matched the most with my mother’s.’
In this audio clip, Poy Tong describes his experience of being questioned by Canadian immigration officials. His mother and his two brothers were questioned separately. He explains that his responses matched his mother’s responses, while his brothers’ did not. Consequently, only Poy and his mother, Hew Ting, were granted permission to enter Canada. His brothers remained in China until the family could appeal the decision.
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