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.
‘They were not able to guess me because first of all, I'm a story from British Columbia, secondly, I don't have an accent.’
In this audio clip, Susan Chew reminisces about her appearance on the popular CBC television show, Front Page Challege. Susan made headlines across the country in 1956 when she was denied rental housing because of racial prejudice. The panelists on the show, made up of famous Canadians, were not able to guess who she was.
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