Asian Canadian History

Interned Japanese Fishing Fleet, 194-, Photographer / Studio: Dominion Photo Co. (VPL # 26951)

This guide will help you find materials in Vancouver Public Library on Asian Canadian history. Many of these resources are available at the Central Library, particularly in our Special Collections department on Level 7.

Useful Websites

Asian Heritage in Canada

From the Canadian Encyclopedia, introduces the history of different groups in Canada.

Asian Canadian Studies

A research guide from UBC.

Asians in Canada, with a Focus on British Columbia

Chronological highlights of Asians in Canada, compiled by Imogene L. Lim, PhD.

Canadian Historical Association Booklets - Immigration and Ethnicity in Canada Booklet Series

A collection of 37 booklets on ethnic groups in Canada.

Events in Asian Canadian History

Significant events in history of Canadians of Asian heritage compiled by the Government of Canada.

Library and Archives Canada

Wide array of online information on Canadian history. Includes military records, genealogy, portraits and much more.

Digital Library Resources

Canadian Newsstream

Full-text access to over 500 BC and major Canadian daily newspapers. Some titles go back as far as the 1970s.

Access:

Everywhere for Vancouver residents

Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online

Brief biographies of notable Canadians from the years 1000 to 1930.

Access:

Everywhere for everyone

Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples

NOTE: this online resource will be discontinued as of December 31, 2024. A print copy is available at the Central library.

Online version of the 1999 resource that describes the nation’s 119 different ethnic groups: their process of migration, arrival and settlement, community life, intergroup relations, language and culture.

Access:

Everywhere for VPL cardholders

Historical Photographs of BC and Yukon

A selection of historical images of Vancouver and British Columbia from the 1880s to the 1980s.

Access:

Everywhere for everyone

This Vancouver

The Vancouver Public Library created This Vancouver to share the stories of Vancouverites and the history of Vancouver communities through images, audio clips, and videos.

Access:

Everywhere for everyone

Recommended Titles

Orienting Canada: Race, Empire, and the Transpacific

Reconciling Canada: Critical Perspectives on the Culture of Redress

Taking Liberties: A History of Human Rights in Canada

Voices Rising: Asian Canadian Cultural Activism

White Canada Forever: Popular Attitudes and Public Policy Toward Orientals in British Columbia

Three Faces of Vancouver: A Guide to First Nations, European and Asian Vancouver

Trouble on Main Street: Mackenzie King, Reason, Race, and the 1907 Vancouver Riots

See full list

Northwest History Index

This card index in Special Collection provides access to the Northwest History Collection, a heritage collection covering the early history and exploration of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

The collection includes:

magazine and newspaper articles
pamphlets
books
chapters in books
many other resources

As of August 1998, no new material has been added to the Northwest History Index. It is continued by the British Columbia Index.

Asian Canadian History