The Places of Worship series explores cultural immigration and integration in the suburban region of Mississauga, Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill. These photographs illustrate the Church as a gathering place for a growing community of Chinese immigrants.
In the early 1980’s, Canada saw serge of immigration from Hong Kong and parts of Mainland China. These new immigrants moved to already established populated Chinese enclaves in Vancouver and Toronto. During the wave of Chinese immigration in the 1980’s, some new immigrants settled in the downtown core’s Chinatowns, but many possessed a desire to move to the suburbs, fuelled by dreams of owning large suburban homes. This influx resulted in an emergence of the culturally specific spaces such as commercial retail centers and spiritual institutions that cater to the needs of the Chinese people.
