In this interview, Shannar Wong discusses family life and immigration to Canada.
Shannar explains that her family’s main motive for immigrating to Canada was to provide future generations with better opportunities; however, she feels that life may have been better for her and her husband had they remained in Hong Kong. Shannar describes how it has been difficult for her husband to attain a job that he is happy with, and his desire to maintain the same quality of life he experienced as an upper-middle class man in Hong Kong.
Shannar’s own experiences are a little different, as she received a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto and acquired two posts as a newspaper journalist. However, she still does not feel very satisfied with the jobs that she has held, due to their low pay and long hours. Despite these hesitations, Shannar insists that her newfound faith in Christianity has brought her peace of mind with her decision to immigrate to Canada.
In this interview, Shannar also discusses her family and the unique relationships that are found within it. Her father, originally from Fukien, China, moved to Hong Kong in the 1950s and was separated from his family for nearly 8 years. She feels this is the cause of some of the tension and the lack of intimacy that still plague her family. Shannar also explains how her father had two sons with a mistress in Hong Kong. When her mother and brothers were reunited with her father in the 1960s, her father’s mistress continued to live with their family. Shannar explains that this was neither uncommon nor unexpected during a time where marriage infidelity and polygamy occurred frequently. Shannar also describes how her parents maintained a loving relationship despite his mistress.
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