Gretta Wong Grant: Canada's First Chinese-Canadian Female Lawyer

Abstract

This article considers the life and career of Gretta Wong grant, the first woman of Chinese heritage to become a lawyer in Canada. Called to the bar of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1946, she came from a prominent Chinese-Canadian family in London, Ontario. The article discusses Gretta Wong Grant's family background, education, marriage to a white lawyer and legal career. It explores the social and legal context in which this woman grew up, and considers how racism was manifested against the Chinese in Canada. The author also attempts to provide a comprehensive account of the Canadian legislation and case law relevant to issues of racial discrimination against the Chinese prior to 1950.

Keywords: Gretta, Wong, Grant, Canada, first, Chinese, Canadian, Chinese-Canadian, women, woman, feminism, female, law, racism, lawyer, Law Society, legal, career, social, race, ethnicity, origin, historical, history, discrimination