Our school began in a single room in 1925. Anti-Chinese policies, such as the Head Tax, followed by the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, caused members of our community to fear that families, including Canadian born children, might be deported to China. Most spoke village dialects, so formal Cantonese was important for children with an unknown future.
By 1947, the school had expanded to four classrooms where it is situated today. With systemic racism in employment practices, Chinese youth learned Cantonese to obtain jobs in the Chinese community, as well as to preserve their cultural identity. After almost a century, our prominent alumni include BC Supreme Court’s first Chinese Canadian judge Justice Randall Wong, and Governor General Award winning author Paul Yee.
The School uses cultural language learning to anchor family relationships, strengthen community bonds, and build the local economy of Chinatown. As a building situated at the heart of Chinatown, Mon Keang is more than just a place for a community-based language school, but also a space that offers intergenerational social gatherings and cultural teachings. Our school is soon approaching its 100th year anniversary and our historical building has significant wear and tear from many years of serving the community.
This listing was uploaded by the National Trust for Canada, on July 8, 2024. Please confirm details at the site’s own website before planning your visit. Are you the owner/operator of this historic place? Would you like to make changes to this listing? Please contact us at historicplacesday@nationaltrustcanada.ca
Mon Keang School, established in 1925, is located on the third floor of the historic Wongs’ Benevolent Association Building in Vancouver’s Chinatown. As the first school to provide a full Cantonese secondary education, Mon Keang has played a crucial role in preserving the Cantonese language. Heritage restoration efforts for Mon Keang include fixing the deck, replacing plumbing fixtures and floor surfaces, updating bathroom tiles, and replacing lighting with period-appropriate schoolroom lights and LED fixtures.
