Today Canada prides itself on being one of the most multicultural countries in the world. This country has people from all over the world. All of these different people have different stories. The story of Asian-Canadians is an interesting one, even though they are a large minority group in Canada today, their race had to overcome many obstacles and endure much oppression to attain their large population in Canada. One of the big waves of Asian migration occurred when Chinese people are said to have first started to arrive in Canada in 1788. (Anderson 211). This was when the utility of cheap Asian labor in Canada was starting to be recognized, and they were being brought over one ship at a time. It was not until 1858 with the emergence of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush and a large-scale migration for the gold fields in California, did we first start to see a substantial movement of people into the British Colonies of Vancouver Island, and the rest of the mainland province.
[...] Asian immigration has been very harsh at times, it created conditions of oppression and as a nation we ought to be remorseful. While it was Europeans that were migrating to the Prairies, it was Asians that were coming to Canada in large numbers on the West coast. This group however, was received in a far different way; in fact they were not really welcomed by the Canadians, especially those in British Columbia. Between 1889 and 1885, fifteen thousand Chinese men arrived in Canada and were paid a dollar a day to do some of the most horrendous and dangerous jobs. [...]
[...] In this essay we examined the Chinese immigration experience and particularly the Canadian government policies and Asian immigration to Canada, 1880-1923. From this it is clear that Canadian government policy toward Asian immigration has been very harsh at time, it creating conditions of oppression, and as a nation we ought to be remorseful. Reference List Anderson, A.B. & Frideres, J.S. Ethnicity in Canada. Toronto, ON: Butterworth's Blauner, R. Internal Colonialism and Ghetto Revolt. Social Problems, 16; Canada, House of Commons Debates pg Gillmor, D. [...]
[...] Hostilities arose between Asian and white workers, generated by the different in wages. The conflict was deepened by the use of Chinese workers, chosen solely because of their race, as strike-breakers. A working class thus divided presented little threat to its economic masters. Racism and capitalist economic institutions proved to have a symbiotic relationship. (Gillmor 20). There were sporadic outbursts by Chinese laborers against individual racist agitators, but initiatives against white industrial bosses as the instigators of racism were rare. [...]
[...] These two men, who clearly subscribed to the widespread prejudices against the Chinese, had to reconcile those feelings with the fact that in many ways Chinese immigration was desirable and even necessary most efficient aid in the development of a country and a great means to wealth,” as they themselves were to report. Their solution was to allow Chinese immigration to continue but to recommend some restrictions to guard against its “least desirable” side effects. (Vance 65). The result was the introduction of a series of head taxes. [...]
[...] However, in May 1907, there was an unexpected Asian influx with the arrival of the Kumeric, a ship that brought a load full of migrants over. (Ward 165). This raised the awareness of many white people that the of Asian migration was not over. On September a newly formed group called the Asiatic Exclusion League of Vancouver organized a rally at city hall, which was a block from Chinatown and the adjacent Japantown. Almost half of the city, thirty thousand people, turned out for the rally, wearing white ribbons that said a White Canada.” After rousing speeches that advocated an exclusively white, Christian society, seven thousand men headed for Chinatown. [...]
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