FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — SFU History Major Harry Deng is the Recipient of the 2019 British Columbia Historical Federation Senior Division Scholarship

On May 28, 2020 The British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) announced that SFU History Major Harry Deng was one of two recipients of the 2019 W. Kaye Lamb Awards for the best student works for students at university or college in British Columbia. The award comes with a $1,000 dollar scholarship.

Deng won for his essay “Vancouver’s Chinatown: Literary Mappings of Seclusion”, which was originally written for History 436 taught by Dr. Katie McCullough.

Deng is a 4th year student at SFU, studying history and international studies with a concentration in comparative world politics, culture, and society. His main research interest is in examining the different layers of authority within different contexts — specifically how both state and non-state actors, processes, and figures of power contribute to the nation building exercise. He is graduating this Spring and will be pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and global affairs at the University of British Columbia starting in September 2020.

In his application letter, Deng stated that “knowing the history of the province in which I grew up in and knowing the stories of the places I have visited creates a deeper, more meaningful connection with the space. Moreover, this knowledge has provided me with different perspectives of not only the land and its physical features, but also the people who inhabit this land and call it home.” His essay topic was inspired by an article written by John Lutz, Patrick Dunae, Jason Gilliland, and Donald Lefreniere that challenged the notion of seclusion associated with Victoria’s Chinatown. He thought it would be a challenge to uncover the history of Vancouver’s Chinatown along similar lines – using sources available in the Vancouver City Archives.

The W. Kaye Lamb Award is presented to outstanding post-secondary student essays relating to the history of British Columbia. Sadly, due to the ongoing COVID-19 health situation the BCHF annual conference schedule for June 2020, including the awards gala, has been cancelled. Thus, the prizes are being announced early and plans are in the works for ways to honour winners during the BCHF conference in 2021, details to be announced.

The British Columbia Historical Federation (BCHF) encourages interest in the history of British Columbia through research, presentation, and support in its role as an umbrella organization for provincial historical societies. Established in 1922, the Federation currently provides a collective voice for over 100 member societies and 24,000 individuals in the provincial not-for-profit historical sector.

Written by Doug Brigham, BCHF. Edited by Jonathan Gudlaugson.