136

Overview

From 1942 to 1945, a total of 145 Chinese Canadians were selected by the British Special Operations Executive unit known as Force136. These men received extensive training as commandos and were assigned to carry out near-suicide missions far behind enemy lines during the waning days of the Pacific theater of World War II. Despite their significant contribution to both victory in Southeast Asia and the attainment of the right to vote for Chinese Canadians in 1947, their experiences are largely overlooked in Canadian military history. 136 aims to document and tell a visual story that illuminates the legacy of this Chinese Canadian Commando unit and their valiant efforts to secure Asian Civil Rights during the post-war period, highlighting specific narratives in an effort to do so.