Woo, Joanne
Joanne Woo’s family has a long history in Calgary, Alberta. Her paternal grandfather, Lim Soon, came to Canada in 1900. His wife, Mrs. Lim Soon Dayton (Wong Shee), arrived in 1923 on the last boat to bring Chinese immigrants to Canada before The Chinese Immigration Act, 1923 came into effect, bringing about the Exclusion Period (1923-1947). The family adopted the name Dayton, after the restaurant-turned-store they operated in Calgary. The Lim Daytons’ son, William, married Marguerite Lim Dayton (née Wong) in 1939. Marguerite was responsible for operating the family grocery business along with raising three children, including Joanne. Encouraged to pursue an education by her parents, Joanne entered Business College for secretarial training. She became the first secretary of the Board of Directors of the Sien Lok Society, and has remained active in the organization ever since.
‘[S]he and her friends would link arms with elbows and clinch their fingers together so that they couldn't be separated because if they got separated it was easier for the Caucasians to beat on them.’
In this clip, Joanne Woo recounts how her mother Marguerite Lim Dayton dealt with childhood discrimination. Marguerite was born in Calgary, Alberta in 1914. As a schoolgirl, she and her friends took measures to protect themselves against threats of violence from their white classmates.
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