McGill’s student body has included Chinese students since the late 19th century. In 1909, Peter Hing was McGill’s first Chinese graduate, from the Faculty of Law. Several decades later, McGill would see its first dedicated student group for Chinese students.
In 1944, McGill students formed the Chinese Student Association, which welcomed members from different parts of Canada, China and the West Indies. The group offered a sense of belonging – a place for Chinese students to feel at home with others who shared their cultural background. Still active on campus, the group is now known as the McGill Chinese Students’ Society.
Today, dozens of McGill clubs serve students whose heritages span Asia, in addition to groups like MANABA (the McGill Association of North American Born Asians), which provides a community for second- and third-generation students descended from Asian immigrants.