Engaging Evenings: In Search of Gold Mountain
Date: Feb 6
7:00 pm
- 8:00 pm
Where: Theatre
Lecture
"Gold Mountain" is the term used by Chinese-Canadians and the people of China to refer to North America. It was first used in the 19th Century to describe the potential wealth in North America from mining gold, and various other business ventures. Between 1906 to 1949, the Dominion of Newfoundland imposed a discriminatory immigration policy (the NL Chinese Head Tax). During that time period, over 400 Chinese men made the journey to the Dominion of Newfoundland from Kwangtung province during the early half of the last century. Gordon Jin's father, uncle and many other Chinese men paid a $300 head tax upon entry to the Dominion of Newfoundland, then endured many hardships as they struggled to make this their first home in this country. Gordon Jin will share one such story of his family's struggle during this time period and beyond.
Events & Programs
How do place, identity, and art intersect, and what do their points of intersection tell us about this place we call home?
In this talk, Rhea Rollmann will explore the significance of queer and trans art in Atlantic Canada with particular emphasis on the work of Erica Rutherford as well as iterations of queer and trans art in NL. There will be an opportunity for questions after the talk.
Tickets: $12 plus HST. Free for Rooms members. Get your tickets online or by calling 709-757-8090.
About the Presenter:
Rhea Rollmann (she/her) is an award-winning journalist, writer and audio producer based in St. John's, NL, and is the author of A Queer History of Newfoundland (Engen Books, 2023). She is a founding editor of The Independent NL and her journalism has appeared in Briarpatch Magazine, CBC, Xtra Magazine, Chatelaine, PopMatters, Riddle Fence, Macleans and more. Her academic work has been published in the Journal of Gender Studies, Labor Studies Journal, Canadian Woman Studies, Journal of Work and Society, Canadian Theatre Review, Canadian Review of Sociology, Screen Bodies and elsewhere. She also has an extensive background in labour organizing and queer/trans activism, and she is Station Manager at CHMR-FM, a community radio station in St. John's.