CHINESE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

“Meticulously researched and generously illustrated, this is one of the most detailed and comprehensive studies of a Chinatown in North America. This handsome book traces and analyzes the evolution and development of Victoria, the earliest and most important Chinatown in Canada, from its beginning in the late nineteenth century to the present by arguably the foremost scholar of Chinatowns in North America. It is a must-read for any student interested in the tortuous trajectory of overseas Chinese in Canada from their arduous and ostracized beginnings to their full integration in the national fabric in more recent times.”

“In this carefully documented and well-illustrated book, David Chuenyan Lai traces the history of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Victoria, B.C. from its founding in 1884 to the present day. The book adds to the knowledge of Chinese organizational life, offers insights into co-operation and conflict within the Chinese community, and relates its successes and problems not only to local circumstances but also to events elsewhere in Canada and in China. It is a valuable contribution to scholarship on the Chinese in Canada and of the overseas Chinese generally.”

“The book is an indispensable reference for public service administrators, social workers, community planners, urban sociologists, ecologists, geographers and cultural anthropologists. It can be used as a collateral text for urban ecology, social service administration, community planning and urban history. It should be required reading for any public policy advisor dealing with communal leadership and social service planning development.”