A home then, a home now: Drawing past and present homes of Hong Kong Canadians

Congratulations to Natalie Kopp, recipient of the TR&D Achievement Award.

When people migrate from one place to another, they bring pieces of home with them which reappear in stories, emotions, objects, and imaginings. These spatial memories are important as a record of how people construct home in a foreign country, where their experiences are marginal to national histories. This thesis maps Hong Kong Canadians’ experiences of movement to the Greater Toronto Area between 1955-1975 by drawing past and present homes together with participants. By making space for Hong Kong Canadian stories, we contribute to the larger discourse of unheard voices in the places we call home.

The drawings shown trace my grandmother’s movement from Hong Kong to the Greater Toronto Area. Thank you to all those who have participated so far for your conversation, your drawings, and for letting me see into your worlds.

Natalie Jianyi Kopp is currently completing her Master of Architecture degree remotely from her bedroom in Tkaronto (Toronto). Her family came to this land from two different continents and call many places home.