Alma Mary Wang — the girl who spoke up for Chinese people in Australia

Fierce Girls

ABC listen

Kids & Family, Stories For Kids

4.4 • 930 Ratings

🗓️ 9 July 2023

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Growing up Chinese Australian under the White Australia Policy was tough, but Mary wouldn't be underestimated. She became the first-known Chinese Australian to get a university degree and used her smarts to speak up for Chinese migrant families who were being kept apart by the government. She moved to China to work as a journalist and diplomat, but when she wanted to come back to Australia after World War 2, she wasn't allowed to bring her family back home. This wasn't good enough, so she pushed for all people to be able to call Australia home.

Written and narrated by 10-year-old Meike Chow.

Transcript

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0:00.0	ABC Listen.
0:02.0	Yes.
0:05.0	Girl Power.
0:07.0	This is the story of the girl who spoke up for Chinese people in Australia, Alma Mary Wong, written and read by me, 10 year old Maker Chow.
0:15.7	The Chinese in Australia have practically no home here under the cruel immigration laws of Australia.
0:28.0	The Chinese men with very few exceptions are separated from their wives and families.
0:34.0	Mary paused and gazed at the Brisbane Courier reporter.
0:37.0	He looked bored and uninterested.
0:39.0	After all, it was only an unknown Oriental woman speaking.
0:44.2	Mary continued,
0:45.8	the Commonwealth Statistics show that in 1928 there were 13,000 Chinese men in Australia
0:51.8	and only 185 Chinese women and girls. 20, bring their wives to Australia one year out of six years, the reporter was
1:04.4	dawling on his notepad. This made Mary mad. Why would he meet with her
1:09.8	then not pay attention? Wasn't her voice as important as any other persons? But living
1:15.1	under the White Australia policy, it certainly wasn't the first time she'd been
1:19.0	underestimated. Mary Chong was born to Chinese parents in the small country town of Dabo in
1:25.8	1908 when Chinese Australian girls were basically invisible. When he was at
1:30.9	school at least once a day she would hear,
1:33.0	You can't do this.
1:34.0	Or stay at home, girl.
1:36.0	This is no place for your type.
1:38.0	But even with all the insults, she showed them.
	...

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