Episode 298: Last week, we learned how Chinese immigrants have significantly contributed to Western Canada’s development since 1788, playing critical roles in trade, gold rushes, and railway construction. Despite their contributions, they faced severe discrimination and exploitation, particularly during the railway construction in the early 1900s. Post-railway completion, they suffered rights losses and were subject to a prohibitive head tax, escalating to $500, which failed to deter immigration. Enduring nativist racism and accusations of moral and social threats, their plight culminated in the dark chapter of Canadian history on July 1, 1923, as the Chinese Exclusion Act came into law.
Sources:
Federal Exclusion Act – Province of British Columbia
Chinese Immigration Act, 1923 | Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
Chinese Head Tax in Canada (Plain-Language Summary)
1872 – Indigenous and Chinese Peoples Excluded from the Vote
When Chinese in Canada Were Numbered, Interrogated, Excluded
What was the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada? 3 things you might not know – Beyond
Chinese Immigration records – Library and Archives Canada Blog
The Chinese head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act | CMHR
Formal apology to Chinese Canadians
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