Event held in Calgary to mark 100 years since ‘Chinese Exclusion Act’ | 24CA News
July 1 marks the a hundredth anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923.
The act — also called the Chinese Exclusion Act — restricted almost all Chinese immigration to Canada for many years and an occasion was held at Calgary’s Central Library Friday to commemorate the anniversary of the act.
Attendees had the chance to be taught in regards to the historical past of Chinese immigration to Canada via storytelling periods and historians spoke in regards to the challenges and contributions of Chinese immigrants all through the previous century.
Some of the individuals there had grandparents who have been focused by legal guidelines aimed toward maintaining Chinese individuals out of Canada, together with the Chinese Immigration Act.
“People don’t realize how how racist a policy that was and it was institutionalized by our government. It was something that was immoral, but made legal and that is shocking,” mentioned Ronald Lee.
Lee’s grandfather got here to Canada to assist construct the Canadian Pacific Railway, certainly one of over 15,000 Chinese labourers who first got here to Canada within the mid-nineteenth century to help within the building of the railroad.
Once the railway was full, the federal government of the day set in place various measures to cease the move of immigrants from China to Canada.
When Lee’s grandfather went again to China after the work was full, he needed to pay a $500 tax to have the ability to return to Canada.
The head tax remained in place till 1923, when the Government amended the Chinese Immigration Act, banning most Chinese immigrants till it was repealed in 1947. Its affect has spanned generations and continues to affect Chinese Canadians in the present day.
“I’m saddened by the ignorance of the individuals to not perceive, and even now once we speak about this, I’ve had individuals come as much as me and say, ‘Ron, why bring up the past?’” Lee said.
Part of bringing up the past is making people aware, he said.
Calgarian Jack Yee was born in China and moved to Canada as a child in 1950. He said he didn’t be taught till not too long ago about Canada’s beforehand racist immigration insurance policies.
“I was surprised because I grew up in a small town and I had a very good treatment,” mentioned Yee.
Calgarians with households have been who impacted say citing the previous is a technique to maintain historical past from repeating itself.
“This is a way to remind everybody freedom and democracy are not guaranteed in this country,” Lee mentioned.
“You have to keep our leaders on their toes because we see today we have identity politics and it’s starting again with that right wing thinking and politicians will cater to it, which is very sad,” Lee mentioned.
In 2006, Chinese Canadians obtained an official apology from the federal authorities for the top tax and for excluding Chinese immigrants.
The Exclusion Act additionally required all Chinese individuals residing in Canada to register with the federal government and to hold certificates with photograph identification, or threat fines, detainment or deportation.
This was the one time the federal authorities imposed such a requirement on a non-Indigenous group throughout peacetime.
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