Chinese Head-Tax: a Discriminatory Piece of Legislation
Canada is a country built on immigration, mainly British at first, but from all over the world afterwards. Chinese immigration to Canada dates back to the period of the gold rush when they were recruited to mine. In the 1880's, the Chinese population increased after Canada joined the confederation and extra labour was required to build a cross-country railway. Due to the poor economy in China, many Chinese were willing to migrate and work for low wages. The Canadian government seized this opportunity and allowed the companies working on the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to import Chinese immigrants. With a drive for completion a significant number of Chinese were recruited. In order to control this increase in immigration, the Canadian government implemented a policy imposing a head-tax on Chinese immigrants entering Canada. The head-tax was a discriminatory piece of legislation, which was enacted by the government due to public pressure, and which led to severe discrimination of the Chinese people, thus violating present day human rights codes.
During the 1880's, an immense number of Chinese entered the country to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and due to economic and geographic reasons, most settled in British Columbia (Anderson ,21). As a result, in order to control this immigration, the government of Canada enacted the 1885 Immigration Act. Embedded in the Act, was a $50 head-tax that would be imposed on Chinese migrants before they could be landed (Anderson ,22). Although the government tried to justify the reason for the head-tax to be one of generating revenue, it was clearly used to restrict the entry of Chinese migrants (Anderson ,25). If it in fact was a method for generating revenue, the government should have applied the policy to all people migrating to Canada, however, they only applied it to the Chinese. The number of Chinese immigrants entering the country in the years that the head-tax was in effect significantly decreased,
During the 1880's, an immense number of Chinese entered the country to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and due to economic and geographic reasons, most settled in British Columbia (Anderson ,21). As a result, in order to control this immigration, the government of Canada enacted the 1885 Immigration Act. Embedded in the Act, was a $50 head-tax that would be imposed on Chinese migrants before they could be landed (Anderson ,22). Although the government tried to justify the reason for the head-tax to be one of generating revenue, it was clearly used to restrict the entry of Chinese migrants (Anderson ,25). If it in fact was a method for generating revenue, the government should have applied the policy to all people migrating to Canada, however, they only applied it to the Chinese. The number of Chinese immigrants entering the country in the years that the head-tax was in effect significantly decreased,
Bibliography: Anderson, Christopher G. "The Senate and the Fight Against the 1885 Chinese Immigration Act." Canadian Parliamentary Review (summer 2007): 21-26. Bright, Chris. "Chinese Head Tax Haunts Canada." The Progressive 14 April 1989: 13-14. Wing, Avra. "Acts of Exclusion." Asianweek 13-19 January 2005: 13.