Chinese’s Contribution to Canada

Throughout Canadian history, Chinese immigrants had played a significant role in the development of the nation. In this post, I will unveil BC’s history of Chinese discrimination and how Chinese immigrants had completely changed Canada

Why did the Chinese Residents want to migrate to Vancouver

In brief, they were seeking a better life for their families. The Qing dynasty in China was incapable to rule the country, causing many economic and social issues; on the other hand, many people wanted to come to BC because of the gold rush. As larger ships were invented, people in Asia could come to Vancouver and the west coast efficiently and safely. They thought BC had plenty of gold and everyone would be rich if they could migrate to Canada. However, that was not the case. Although seldom did people become rich because of the gold rush, many people only ended up with disappointment. Meanwhile, the Canadian government was planning to build a huge railway across the country to transport people and resources more efficiently. This national project will cost a large amount of steel, time, and labour. This project offered a working opportunity for many people who did not become rich because of the gold rush.

(Picture Source)

Early Immigrants & the CPR Railways

Ever since the railway construction started, Chinese discrimination seemed to be appealing. Chinese workers were paid 1$ or less while white workers can earn 2$ or more doing the job; they took higher risks to explode dynamites, which was the most dangerous part of building railways. Moreover, the working conditions were never healthy, and employers would not pay them if they died.

The Canadian government faced a challenge as they were planning out the railway path. The Rocky Mountains were on their way, and it would be extremely dangerous to bomb through. A potential way to build the railway was to go around the mountains. This would guarantee work safety for railway workers, but it would be more expensive and take a longer time. On the other hand, one solution was to go straight through the Rocky Mountains. It would be cheaper and faster to build; however, workers’ safety was not considered in this situation.

(From Knowledge — British Columbia Untold Histoty)

To save money, the Canadian government chose to follow the second method. Although this method could save time and resources, it put many Chinese workers in danger at the same time. However, many Chinese workers did not understand how dangerous their task was. Among the 10,000 to 12,000 Chinese men who participate to build the railway, around 1,200 died on the railway and had their bodies shipped back to China to be buried.

“They say there was one dead Chinese man for every mile of that track”

Finally, the railway across eastern Canada and British Columbia was completed in 1885. It brought significant improvements to transportation and communication across Canada; at the same time, it contributed to the growth of Canada’s economy and the development of new cities. The Canadian government held “The Last Spike” ceremony at Craigellachie to mark and celebrate the completion of the railway; however, there were no Chinese workers at the ceremony. They were not invited to the ceremony; furthermore, after working and living expenses, many Chinese workers were in debt and broke. Since the railway was completed, Canada did not want Chinese labourers anymore. They viewed Canada as a “white” country, so the government wanted to block more Chinese people from coming. Therefore, they passed the Chinese immigration act and the head tax era began.

The Chinese Immigration Act & the Formation of Chinatown

In 1885, just a few months after the railway was completed, the Federal government passed the Chinese immigration act. It means all Chinese immigrants had to pay a 50$ head tax to migrate to Canada. (50$ in 1885 is equivalent to approximately 1,400$ today) No other groups in Canada were taxed because of their origin. The Federal government wanted to discourage Chinese immigrants from coming; however, it wasn’t as successful as they planned out. Meanwhile, in 1886, as the Chinese population was growing, the Canadian government zoned out an area for Chinese residents to live. Chinese residents could only buy or own property in that area, where we now call Chinatown. In the first year, only 90 Chinese residents were living in the neighbourhood, but the population grew rapidly as more immigrants arrived in Vancouver. The Canadian government then increased the head tax to the regulate Chinese population in BC. The head tax was 100$ in 1900 and reached 500$ in 1903 (which is worth 15,715 today). Although the head tax penalty was insanely high, it was still worth paying for many people. As a result, the Chinese population tripled during the head tax era, from 13,000 to 39,517. In total, the Canadian government had earned around 24,000$ off head tax, roughly the same as the cost to build the CPR railway.

(Chinese Head Tax Certificate — Picture Source)

A Harsher Solution: Exclusion Act

As the politicians realized the head tax did not stop Chinese men from coming, they decided to fundamentally stop the Chinese from coming. On July 1st, 1923, a new Chinese immigration act was published, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. The Chinese exclusion act stated that Chinese immigrants, except students and merchants, could no longer immigrate to Canada. From white people’s point of view, it was an astounding success. Fewer than 50 people were allowed entry during the exclusionary era. The Chinese population decreased by 25% and essentially stopped the Chinese communities from growing. However, it was a whole other story if you look from Chineses’ point of view. All Chinese residents became “bachelors” and many of them lost their purpose of immigrating to Canada. 80% of the Chinese immigrants had their families back in China and they planned to bring them here; however, the exclusion act would separate them apart. But the Chinese discrimination in Canada did not stop with the Exclusion act.

Chinese Discriminations & Resilience

It was never easy for Chinese men to live in Canada. They could not live outside Chinatown; their career life was limited, which they could only take low status or high-risk jobs; moreover, many of them were heavily in debt because of the head tax and living expenses. They had only partial, if any, citizenship even though they had paid their head tax. They faced personal attacks from the white community every day. Many white people believed Chinatown was a dangerous place to be in; they believed there was a tunnel for Chinese men to deal with illegal drugs. However, non of their beliefs were factual. Chinatown in Vancouver was safer than many cities in BC. Although the situation for the Chinese was never friendly, they managed to protect their community and fight for their rights. For some examples…

Ex. Sam Kee Building

In 1903, Sam Kee purchased the standard size lot of the Sam Kee Building. But in 1912, the Canadian government planned to widen Pender Street, which a huge amount of Sam Kee building would be torn down. Although Sam Kee did not agree to anything, his land was expropriated anyways. The lot he owned became four feet and eleven inches wide. Many people considered the lot to be useless, but Sam Kee was determined to rebuild his business with four feet wide lot. He renovated and redesigned the building; moreover, he developed a basement and extended his business area. It was one of the most creative buildings in Vancouver’s Chinatown. To this date, the Sam Kee Building is the narrowest building around the world based on the Guinness Book of Records.

(Sam Kee Building — Picture Source)

Ex. WWII

On December 25, 1941, Hong Kong had been fully captured by Imperial Japan. It was significant and devastating news for both Canada and Chinese Canadians. Since Hong Kong was an essential communicating club between North America and China, the situation in China was unknown to the Allies. Up to around 600 Chinese Canadian volunteered to serve in the war. They fought for their right and respect; They fought for China and Canada; they fought for what they deserved: a better life.

(Picture Source)

Ex. Freeway protest

Last but not least, the freeway fight. In the 1960s, Vancouver’s historic Chinatown was at risk of being redeveloped. The government planned to build a freeway across Chinatown, they planned to transform Chinatown and nearby historical communities into modern communities. They believed this plan would make Vancouver a “Livable” city; however, many Chinese Canadians strongly disagree with the idea. Chinese Canadians viewed the Chinatown community as “home” since the Chinese were limited in Chinatown for many years. They believed these historical communities should be protected, so many Chinese residents went on protest. However, what stopped the government from building the freeway wasn’t just the protest; it was the lack of money to build the freeway. Although that’s being said, the freeway protest did play a significant role in protecting historical communities.

(Picture Source)

Redress and Official Apology

The exclusion act was finally abolished in 1947. The Chinese Immigration Act had banned the entry of Chinese immigrants for over 24 years. However, immigration restrictions based on race and origin were not fully scrubbed until 1967. On June 22, 2006, more than a century since the railway started, Prime Minister Stephen Harper delivered an official apology to Chinese Canadians.

“Chinese Canadians are making an extraordinary impact on the building of our country. They’ve also made a significant historical contribution despite many obstacles. That’s why, as I said during the election campaign, the Chinese Canadian community deserves an apology for the head tax and appropriate acknowledgement and redress.” Stephen Harper made this statement in a news conference, 2006.

He offered “symbolic payments” of 20,000$ to 20 surviving head taxpayers; however, it was disappointing for many people because there was no compensation for the descendants of the head taxpayers. The Conservatives promised they would spend 34 million dollars on programs of various groups that suffered from discrimination. Many people believed this official apology was significant because it recognized wrongdoing in the past and adjust it. However, not many head taxpayers were lucky enough to receive the official apology.

Significance

Chinese Canadians had made a huge contribution to Canada as a nation, whether through railway constructions, head tax payments or serving in WWII. Through the efforts of many people, Chinese Canadians brought more equality and justice to Canada. I admire all early immigrants who faced racism and yet fought for their life. As we visit Chinatown in the future, we should remember what had happened in history and never repeat them.