Today we’re discussing the 1992 Heritage Minute “Nitro” and its depiction of Chinese Canadian history, as well as Heritage Minutes more generally!
For those unfamiliar, Heritage Minutes are a series of 60-second short films intended to depict major moments in Canadian history. “Nitro” introduces viewers to the experiences of Chinese workers who built the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/EE3ISzalVuo.
To discuss this clip, I’m joined by Melanie Ng. Melanie is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Toronto, a museum educator with the Royal Ontario Museum, and a trained public school teacher. Her research focuses on clandestine Chinese migration to North America in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries! In our conversation today, we get into the history of Chinese migration, what aspects of Chinese Canadian history this Heritage Minute reveals and what it obscures, and the genre of Heritage Minutes themselves.
For those who would like to learn more about the history of racist immigration restrictions in Canada and abroad (which we discuss in the episode), check out Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds’s book Drawing the Global Colour Line: White Men’s Countries and the International Challenge of Racial Equality (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008). Those interested in the history of Canada’s Chinese community should also check out Lisa Rose Mar’s Brokering Belonging: Chinese in Canada’s Exclusion Era, 1885-1945 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2010). Also check out the RepresentASIAN Project, which discusses Asian representation and seeks to elevate Asian voices in popular media: https://representasianproject.com/!
--
Podcast logo is made by https://www.instagram.com/nethkaria; music is from “Mystery,” recorded in 1919 by Paul Biese and his Novelty Orchestra. Follow the show on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/offcampushistory/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/offcampushistory)! You can also email the show at offcampushistory[at]gmail.com.
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com