The Evolution of Chinese Graves at Burnaby's Ocean View Cemetery: From Stigmatized Purlieu to Political Adaptations and Cultural Identity by Maurice Conrad Guibord B.A. (Archaeology), University of Calgary, 1981 B.A. (Hons., Translation), University of Ottawa, 1977 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Maurice Conrad Guibord 2013 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Fall 2013 Approval Name: Maurice Conrad Guibord Degree: Master of Arts (History) Title of Thesis: The Evolution of Chinese Graves at Burnaby's Ocean View Cemetery: From Stigmatized Purlieu to Political Adaptations and Cultural Identity Examining Committee: Chair: Roxanne Panchasi Graduate Chair, Associate Professor Nicolas Kenny Senior Supervisor Assistant Professor Jeremy Brown Supervisor Assistant Professor David Chuenyen Lai External Examiner Professor Department of Geography University of Victoria Date Defended/Approved: September 19, 2013 ii Partial Copyright Licence iii Ethics Statement iv Abstract This thesis analyzes the practice of racism against the Chinese community in Vancouver-area cemeteries, and how it was modified by trans-Pacific political and cultural forces. It shows how, at Burnaby's Ocean View cemetery, the Chinese community moved away from segregation in the burial place and progressed to burial designs that responded to its cultural and religious needs. It analyzes the abandonment by some Chinese immigrants of their tradition of disinterment and repatriation to China, when they chose to be buried there rather than at Vancouver's Mountain View cemetery. It also argues that the Chinese community of the Lower Mainland modified its own burial traditions in a manner different from anywhere else in B.C., as a result of the wave of immigrants from Hong Kong in the 1980s-90s. These changes transformed the design, architecture and burial practices at Ocean View, and helped form a new physical Chinese identity in that landscape. Keywords: Ocean View cemetery; Chinese burials; Mountain View cemetery; Chinese Benevolent Association; Repatriation of Human Remains; Chinese Community in British Columbia v Dedication À mes parents, Alphonse et Irène (née Legault), qui m'ont inculqué la curiosité et l'enthousiasme. À ma jumelle, Monique, qui s'est toujours réjouie de mes succès. Et à mon partenaire, Néstor, dont l'appui sans limites m'a permis ce nouveau volet dans notre vie. vi Acknowledgements I am extremely grateful to my supervisors, Dr. Nicolas Kenny and Dr. Jeremy Brown, for their continued support, encouragement and guidance in this process. This thesis would have not been possible without the friendly cooperation of managers Ralph McKnight, Brian Boyle, and Christine Harvey at Ocean View and Forest Lawn Memorial Parks, and manager Glenn Hodges at Mountain View Cemetery, nor without the hours that Larry Wong and Faye Leung spent with me, relating their family experiences at Ocean View cemetery. I wish to thank all those whose expertise on issues related to my research aided me in my work: Dr. David Chuenyan Lai, Archie and Dale Miller, Winnie L. Cheung, Laura Pasacreta, Dr. Shelley Chan, Judy Lam Maxwell, Arilea Sill, Lorraine Irving, John Atkin, and Warren Summer. I extend my thanks to Bowen Zhang and OMNI TV for allowing me an interview on their news program. Thanks to Elwin Xie also for his time and support. A big thank you to Nancy Stagg for formatting my images. My thanks go to Kevin Lee and May Yan who assisted me in the translation of grave markers, and Ren Jia (Joanna) Cao, and Chun-li Yang for their research work in Chinese-language newspapers. The professionalism of UBC Asian Library librarian Jing Liu, RBCM archivist Marion Tustanoff and CVA archivist Megan Schlase greatly facilitated my work and enhanced the research process. Thanks finally to Ocean View Burial Park, Mountain View Burial Park, the University of British Columbia Archives, the Vancouver Public Library and the City of Vancouver Archives for allowing me the use of their photos. My heartfelt thanks to Nancy, Dianne and Maria, who have supported me from the start, and who are probably the ones who most understand the route that led me to this endeavour. Fellow students Tim and James have been staid pals at every step. My family and friends, and in particular my partner, have been unbelievable through it all. Merci à vous tous! This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the City of Burnaby (Doug Drummond Research Fellowship), and the SFU Graduate Students Society. vii Table of Contents Approval .............................................................................................................................ii Partial Copyright Licence .................................................................................................. iii Ethics Statement ...............................................................................................................iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................. v Dedication .........................................................................................................................vi Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... vii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ viii List of Plates...................................................................................................................... x List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................xi Preface. The Willow Section ....................................................................................... xii Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 The Essentiality of the Cemetery ...................................................................................... 1 Thesis................................................................................................................................ 4 Primary Sources and Research Methods ......................................................................... 6 Historiography ................................................................................................................. 11 Websites ......................................................................................................................... 17 "Chinese" as a Descriptor ............................................................................................... 18 Romanization .................................................................................................................. 20 Overview of Chapters ...................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 1. The Segregation of Chinese Remains .................................................... 23 1.1. Post-Death Segregation ......................................................................................... 23 1.2. The Origin of Vancouver's Chinatown .................................................................... 27 1.3. The Chinese Benevolent Association .................................................................... 28 1.4. Religious Beliefs—and Politics—Direct the Chinese Soul ..................................... 32 1.5. The Exhumation and Repatriation of Chinese Remains ........................................ 33 1.6. A Challenging Cultural Scenario ............................................................................ 38 Chapter 2. The History of Racism in Lower Mainland Cemeteries ......................... 40 2.1. Stanley Park, Vancouver ........................................................................................ 41 2.2. Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver .................................................................... 43 2.3. The CBA at Mountain View Cemetery ................................................................... 46 2.4. New Westminster's Cemeteries ............................................................................. 49 2.5. Ocean View Cemetery, Burnaby ............................................................................ 53 2.6. Won Alexander Cumyow ........................................................................................ 64 2.7. Views Against Repatriation .................................................................................... 65 2.8. The Rise of Discontent ........................................................................................... 66 2.9. Testimonials to Change ......................................................................................... 68 2.10. The End of Repatriation ......................................................................................... 74 2.11. The Extortion Measures From the PRC ................................................................. 76 2.12. Changes in Mindset and Policy Begin to Take Effect ............................................ 79 viii Chapter 3. A Transformative Wave ............................................................................ 80 3.1. The New Chinese-Canadians ...............................................................................