Series Classification: G (General Audiences) | Find the series here.
"[In 1938] the Japanese invaders began to move south. The approaching invasion meant everyone's lives were in jeopardy. There was anxiety and fear in the village. The prospect of leaving their ancestral home and the uncertainty of fleeing into the unknown was a huge decision... Some felt that there was no option but to flee; for others, it was a risk they could not take."
Yuk Sum was nine years old when her family's flight from war-torn China began.
"I remember it was the 28th of August, 1938. Gripped by fear, a large group of people left on foot together, carrying their possessions. On the following day, some of the group turned back.
"There were some who had accompanied their loved ones on the beginning of their journey; some were too frightened, and others, including Ma [grandmother], who realised that the journey would be too difficult for them. Our group of almost 20 continued on.
"Our family consisted of my father, mother, my older sister, myself, and my baby brother. My baby brother was only nine months old, and my mother carried him on her back using a 'meh dai'.
"My father carried most of our belongings. We all carried something. There were times when we were so scared, not only of the invading enemy but of how we were going to survive such a journey. If we needed to keep my young brother quiet, we would give him food to stop him from crying.
"There were many air raids, and the noise filled the air. When planes flew over, we all ran for our lives and hid. In later years, when planes were mentioned, mother would remember those frightening days."
Hop Juk and her three children were granted approval to enter New Zealand on temporary permits on 3 November 1939, with the help of Doo Kee's father, who was still in New Zealand. Yuk Shan, being the eldest child, was to stay and care for her grandmother.
Sadly, their grandmother died that year, so the whole family emigrated together. Medical checks and travel arrangements were completed towards the end of December 1939. By the time they boarded the ship Tai Ping to sail on their way to New Zealand, Hop Juk was already expecting another child.
Hop Juk's daughter Nancy Wong, paediatrician Dr. Sharon Wong, and great-granddaughter Alexandra (10), share their thoughts about Hop Juk with director Lynda Chanwai-Earle (herself a descendent of Chinese refugees).
Dr. Wong also reflects on her work helping roll out the meningococcal B vaccine in the early 2000s, as one of the few female Chinese paediatricians working in New Zealand. Dr. Wong recalls her grandmother's pride in her achievements, being able to experience the kind of life her grandmother never could.
- Record no: C. 33/24/1113: Two-year temporary permit approved 6 November 1939.
- Arrived: 23 January 1940, age 36 with three children, in Wellington on the Awatea.
- Granted permanent residence: Cho Chao She and four children on 4 September 1947. New Zealand citizenship: November 1968.
- Husband: CHO Fook Kay aka JOE Doo Kee 周杜棋 from Nam Leng/Nam Chuen, Poon Yue, market gardener.
Photo: NZ On Air
