K. Dock Yip First Canadian lawyer of Chinese descent and actor

On my walk through York Cemetery in Toronto, gavel in hand, I came upon the grave of Kew Dock Yip — lawyer, advocate, and trailblazer.

Born in Vancouver into a large and prominent Chinese Canadian family, Dock Yip was ambitious, studious, and driven. He earned a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Michigan in 1931.

But pharmacy wasn’t his calling.

Determined to give a voice to Chinese Canadians — who at the time were facing deep discrimination and legal marginalization — Yip pursued a career in law. After several attempts to gain admission, he was finally accepted into Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1945.

That same year, Kew Dock Yip made history as the first lawyer of East Asian descent to be called to the bar in Canada.

He would go on to practice law for 47 years, working out of a storefront office in Toronto’s Chinatown, where he tirelessly served the Chinese Canadian community.

Yip’s contributions extended beyond the courtroom. He served as a school trustee, dabbled in Hollywood acting, and at 87, he even enrolled in a correspondence course in Shakespearean English from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University).

Kew Dock Yip died in Toronto on July 9, 2001, at the age of 94. But his legacy — as a pioneer, advocate, and voice for his community — lives on.

1906-2001