The Chinese people first immigrated to Canada in hopes of making a fortune to bring back to their homeland. Many of the first Chinese immigrants left in the 1860s because of the decaying Fraser River Gold Rush; the reason why the Chinese moved there in the first place. Building the Canadian Pacific railway required many people, something not available at the time. Many workers came from the United States, where they constructed the Union Pacific Railway. Canadians grew displeased by the growing amount of Chinese immigrants, who they felt lived far too differently. This was the start of the racism and hatred for the Chinese. Although the Chinese Pioneers were critical contributors to the advancement of Canadian society, they were never perceived in that way.
The Chinese did not immigrate only because of the new opportunities, despite the fact that Canada was a flourishing country. Political, social, and economic changes stimulated the immigration of Chinese to Canada. Their homeland, China, was growing to be an overpopulated country. From 1787 to 1850, the population of China skyrocketed from 16 million to 28 million. Natural disasters prevented successful harvests. Floods, earthquakes, and droughts ruined crops. Food supplies dwindled, leaving the Chinese citizens hungry, many dying of hunger. Famine became widespread. Many Chinese died from hunger and the plague. The Pearl River Delta, specifically, suffered from 7 typhoons, 14 floods, 4 earthquakes, 2 droughts, 5 famines, and 4 plagues. In addition, when China was defeated in the Opium War of 1842, five new international trading ports were opened. The new trading ports greatly weakened trade in China’s major southern port.
The sentiment held by residents of British Columbia ...
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...,” they helped assemble a foundation for what Canada is today.
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In conclusion Canada gained independence because of a series of events that took place during the twentieth century. If it hadn’t been for these events, Canada to this day might have been a part of the British Empire. Through discussion on the Chanak affair we signalled that we wanted autonomy. Through our hard work and lives, the world knew we had the ability to stand alone as a strong nation. While, our international reputation of being a “peacekeeping” country the right to stand as an independent self-governing nation. But finally through the Canada Act, we stood solely independent from our Empire. It is obvious that the twentieth century provided us with great chances to become an independent strong nation.
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In today’s rapidly growing global society, foreign relations with other countries are imperative to a nation’s prosperity and world-wide harmony. Especially with China, the fastest growing country in the world, it is important for Canada to establish relations that can benefit both countries. The foundation of these Sino-Canadian relations was created by Norman Bethune’s involvement in the Second Sino-Japanese War. China was not always such a flourishing and prosperous society. In 1937, during this war, Japan invaded China with imperialist objectives.
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Newman, Garfield et al. Canada A Nation Unfolding. Toronto: Mc Graw – Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000.
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
No one of chinese descent were allowed to immigrate over to America because they were taking away jobs from the citizens, mainly work that had to do with steel. There was not much success in improving the labor for workers.
Karen Chos’s “In the Shadow of Gold Mountain” is an incredible film which sheds light on the historical injustice Chinese immigrants faced on their journey to become Canadian. Karen’s film educates the audience of the dark past of the Chinese head-tax and the Exclusion Act. Two powerful ideas the film shares are systematic discrimination and reconciliation. In the early nineteenth century, there were many explicit racial laws set for a certain group of people. For the Chinese immigrants it was the head tax, a fee paid specifically by any Chinese wanting to come to Canada. Through the years the head tax reached $500. Since the head-tax did not suffice, the government imposed the Exclusion Act, completely banning Chinese immigration. This act
More than 17,000 Chinese came to Canada during 1881 till 1884. Couple thousand came from the coastal areas of the United States as they helped create the American transcontinental railroad, but majority of the chinese arrived straight from southern China. Most of these chinese workers, worked as labourers on the railroad (Ties That Bind, Chinese Railroad Workers). In the movie, it was shown as the Chinese workers arrived in Canada, the Canadians were waiting for them and immediately attacked them with names. The Canadians knew they were higher class and were better than them. This explained to us how the Chinese weren't welcomed to Canada and how they were treated unfairly. As they were getting treated horribly, the work the Chinese had to do were extremely dangerous. After the Chinese lost the opium war for the second time, it was agreed that they would be sent overseas to work in Canada. The Chinese were forced to do the dangerous and deadly jobs that the Canadian refused to do. (Asia/Canada, Chinese labour Builds the CPR) this also was shown in the movie because after the Chinese were in the mine and everything toppled over, Little Tiger went in the cave to clear the rocks away because no Canadian would do it. In the movie, the Canadians showed no empathy to the Chinese workers as they made them do the dangerous work. As little tiger walked into the cave, Mr.james explained how "he" might die, but the rest didn't care and said they could Aleah's find a replacement. So although the Chinese had an opportunity to come to Canada they weren't treated with respect and were put to do the harder
In our reading for this week, “Asian American: An Interpretative History” by Sucheng Chan and “The New Chinese America: Class, Economy, and Social Hierarchy” by Xianjian Zhao, both collections of information regarding Asian immigrants to the United States of America we are presented with the challenges of these immigrants. Though the two authors used different approaches their intention appears to be documenting, presenting, and recording the history of this migration during the early nineteenth century. As with any large migration of immigrants to any country this caused a significant impact on not only the immigrants life, but that of the residents, the country’s economy, and society.
In California, Chinese immigrants were important to the success of mining towns, the railroad, and major industrial establishments; all while playing a crucial role in major racial discrimination. Chinese immigrants worked for very little.
The Chinese Canadians clearly express themselves through their cuisine, their traditions and celebrations, and the popular trends that they brought from China that Canada has now adopted. Authentic Chinese restaurants can be found in and outside of Chinatowns and are enjoyed by Canadians and Chinese Canadians alike. Some popular foods that came from China include sweet and sour pork, dumplings, and spring rolls. Introducing their cuisine within Canada brings more diversity to Canada while also expressing a part of their Chinese culture. Chinese traditions and festivals can be seen in Canada, including Lunar New Years, Chinese Lantern Festival, and Qingming/Tomb Sweeping Day. During these celebrations, Chinese Canadians have the opportunity to share their values and their traditional dances and dress. It’s important that they continue to celebrate traditional festivals because it ensures they will not assimilate and they show Canada that Chinese Canadians are a separate nation within the complex web of Canadian cultures. Lastly, bringing popular trends to Canada help Chinese Canadians affirm their place within the country. For example, Chinese martial arts in a popular activity throughout Canada. Chinese zodiac signs are also popular with some individuals despite it not being a part of their heritage or ethnicity. Companies/businesses such as Toronto’s Chinese Dance Academy and Canada China Art Association clearly show ways that Chinese culture has been spread throughout Canada in a way that expresses Chinese Canadians as a
One of the first groups of people who settled by the Fraser River were the Chinese immigrants who traveled up the continent from San Francisco. Later, many other people of Chinese descent moved directly from Hong Kong, looking for a better life in the “Gum Shan” (the “Gold Mountain”). They didn’t get very far before a shortage of labour caused the government relied on the Chinese workers to do hard
In the past Chinese immigrants were first only seen as a form of cheap labour to create the Canadian Pacific Railway. They were given small sums of money for their work, “Although Chinese played a key role in building the western stretch of the railway, they earned between $1 and $2.50 per day” (The University of British Columbia, n.d.). The government saw the Chinese as nothing more than dogs—so far beneath them that they were not worthy to receive the same amount of pay or recognition as “real” Canadians did. Additionally, Chinese men had to face dangerous and often times fatal conditions because the railway stretched sea to sea, and the terrain that it was built over was hazardous. Their lives were seen as unimportant so the “Chinese workers were delegated the most dangerous construction jobs, such as working with explosives” (The University of British Columbia). They worked all year round, and were unequipped for the cold climate and lack of food; almost as many men died from hypothermia as they did from falling off cliffs or from dynamite blasts. Lastly, even with the highly inadequate pay, many men were still trying to save enough money to one day be able to bring their families over to Canada. This dream was crushed however, when many Canadians demanded Oriental immigration be stopped. Unfortunately, the government conformed to the population’s demands, and after the Canadian
At the beginning, first Chinese settlers in the USA were from the south of China. Some of them built Chinatown and opened Chinese restaurants in the United State when the railroad was built. However, the law of Chinese Exclusion Act prevented entry of Chinese laborers and businesses in the United State in 1882. Chinese were scorn by the American public and blamed for eating the cats, dogs, and rats. They could only enter the United States as sponsored by relatives who were owners of particular businesses. It brought more people to open Chinese restaurants in the United States. The Chinese restaurants in New York City nearly quadrupled and then more than doubled again over the next ten years. It was extremely hard for Chinese to have the