Chinese Immigration to Canada
Some early Chinese immigrants to Canada did not come directly from China but rather from California, according to the Chinese Canadian National Council. They arrived in British Columbia in 1858 as a part of the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush.
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Railroad Work
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In the 1880s, Chinese began to immigrate from China to Canada to work on the Canadian Pacific Railroad, completed in 1885. According to the Chinese Canadian National Council, among the 15,000 Chinese who immigrated to Canada from 1881 to 1884, 6,000 were railroad workers.
Anti-Immigration Laws
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Once the railroad was finished, however, immigrant Chinese were no longer wanted, according to Canadian Broadcast Centre archives. Anti-Chinese immigration laws were passed by the Canadian government in 1885; despite this, the Chinese continued to immigrate to Canada.
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Head Tax
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Immigrant Chinese in Canada suffered discrimination, including a Head Tax of $50 per person, which was eventually raised to $500 by 1903; it was only repealed in 1923. Every Chinese immigrant paid a Head Tax upon entering Canada; the Chinese Canadian National Council states that no other immigrant group was so taxed.
Exclusion Act
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In 1923, the Canadian government passed the Exclusion Act, which denied entry into Canada for anyone immigrating from China. In addition, government registration was declared compulsory for all Chinese living in Canada, including those born there.
Immigration Act
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In 1967, an Immigration Act was passed that granted the same rights to Chinese immigrants as to other immigrant groups. This encouraged Chinese immigration to Canada, according to Canadian Broadcasting Centre archives.
Immigration Statistics
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According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, by the time of the 2006 Canadian census, 1,346,510 Canadian citizens claimed Chinese ancestry. The Chinese represent the third-largest group in Canada, behind the English and the French.
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