The History of Chinese Exclusion Laws in Canada, Part 1

Asian American History 101

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 48! Chinese Exclusion Laws were a dark moment in U.S. history… but they were also a dark moment in Canadian history. Chinese immigrants in Canada helped support the economy in a variety of ways including providing labor for growing food, being part of the fishing industry, and building the railroad. However, they also faced racism and xenophobia that culminated in a series of Chinese Exclusion Laws.

These laws may have been passed by lawmakers, but white dominated labor unions, community groups, Canadian media, women’s groups, and key individuals were all supporters of exclusion, and they pressured the government to do something about keeping Canada pure and white. This is part 1 of a series on the history of these Chinese Exclusion Laws in Canada. We’ll share some of the history of Chinese immigration to Canada as well as the various groups that supported exclusion. We also talk about the impact that U.S. politics had on the Canadian decisions.

This episode begins with current events, and we close out by talking about The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia, a group that helps people understand the history of the Chinese in British Columbia through research, documentation, preservation, and education. They also take donations to support the community… like rebuilding the Lytton Chinese History Museum after it was burned down.

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Segments

• 00:25 Celebrations of Shohei Ohtani, Y. Michelle Kang, Sirish Subash, and Sophia Park
• 04:18 The History of Chinese Exclusion Laws in Canada, Part 1
• 18:15 Organizations to Know: The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia