Orphaned at age 4, Jim Chin came to Canada from Canton in November 1951 at age 18. Jim immigrated with his uncle and aunt as their "paper son" under his deceased cousin's identity. His real name was Yui Woon. Jim settled in Paris, Ontario, where he met his wife, Phyllis.
Phyllis was an ethnic Chinese born and raised in Jamaica. She was 17 years old when she came to Guelph in 1954 to study nursing and to escape an arranged marriage. She arrived at Pearson International Airport in the middle of winter wearing a sweater and sandals. Phyllis did not speak or understand any Chinese dialect, as her family had been in Jamaica for multiple generations.
Although Jim did not receive formal schooling, he quickly learned English and began working in Chinese restaurants. In 1964, he formed partnership with Robert Chan, Bob Chan, Frank Quon, and Bill Yee to own and operate the Shanghai Restaurant at 907 Colborne St. E. Jim, along with Phyllis's brother, Keith Sunn, bought out the other partners in 1976.
After their three children (Audrey, Pat, and Michelle) were born, Phyllis ended her nursing career and helped Jim at the restaurant. Having been raised in a wealthy family with housemaids, before coming to Canada Phyllis never even had to boil water, let alone cook. When they met, Jim taught Phyllis how to boil water. Moreover, while operating a Chinese restaurant, Phyllis never learned to use chopsticks in her life. The family bought Phyllis a pair of training chopsticks to tease her.
The family spoke English at home. Their three children attended St. John's Catholic School as Phyllis was a Catholic who attended a British nunnery school in Jamaica. Luckily for the children, during their time at St. John's, the school had a Chinese chaplain from Hong Kong, Michael Chow. The Chin family's story reminds us of the diverse cultural roots of Chinese diaspora.
