Abryana Pagtakhan Block D June 5 2019

In Canada British Columbia 1858, there was a gold rush that drawn many Chinese to immigrate to Canada. Many
Chinese immigrants thought the gold rush would help them have a better future and a better life for the next
generation, because many Chinese immigrants were coming to Canada the federal government created the first
anti-Chinese bill in 1855, also known as the Chinese head tax. The head tax was created to limit the number of
chinses immigrants coming to Canada, they were charged $50 per person, in 1900 the tax increased to $100 per
person, it was not until 1903 till the federal government finally made the decision and charged them $500 per
person. Since the head tax wasn’t stopping more immigrants coming to Canada, the Chinese immigration act
happened in 1923-1947, because of the act less than 50 immigrants a success to stop the immigrants coming to
Canada. The government should apologize to the Chinese

The Canadian government should apologize to the Chinese because, when the Chinese heard about
the gold rush happening in British Columbia, many immigrated to Canada because they thought the gold rush
would help them and their family to have a better life and a better future. There were so many immigrants coming
to Canada the federal government made the Chinese head tax that costs $500, to reduce the number of new
immigrants coming to Canada. Canada needed a railway to connect British Columbia to the rest of Canada to have
a better transportation, so they made the Chinese labourers help work on the railway, the area where the railway
would be built was very mountainous, making it very difficult and dangerous to construct. The Chinese had a
different amount of payment mainly because they weren’t white, the Chinese earned $1.00 per a day and the
white people earned $2.50 per day. Not only were the Chinese being paid in a very low income, it affected their
way of lifestyle as well. Their everyday meal was rice, dried salmon and tea, with their low salaries they couldn’t
afford fresh fruits and vegetables. In the winter time the Chinese would pack up everything and would walk over
40 kilometers, to go somewhere warmer. When the construction was completed and ready to be shown, the
Chinese workers were excluded from the event. the federal government received $23 million and could have used
it for the railway and have it professionally done, instead of having the Chinese doing it only because it was
cheaper. After the railway was completed the federal government passed the Chinese Immigration Act. The act
was created to ban the Chinese immigrants coming to Canada for the next 24 years. With no exceptions of
becoming a citizen, paying $500 for the Chinese Head Tax and the Chinese immigration act being made, it was very
clear to the Chinese that they did not belong in Canada, which is why they were being miss treated very badly.
Chinese immigration caused many families to drift apart because they were apart for so many years. From the 24
years of being apart men would write letters to their family for forgiveness of their failure because they were not
able to bring their families to Canada. The families that were reunited and lived in Canada did not have a very
happy life as many immigrants had in mind. they had to take their children on a boat, to go to Victoria, once they
got there they had to go a house called the pig house that was originally used for farming. There was a house for
the girls and a house for the boys. The children could stay there for weeks or months, depending on how much the
family paid. the previous children that lived in the pig house, would right poems on the walls about how they got
to Canada thinking they would be rich, but instead they were stuck in the house. As much as the children thought
their lives would be better when they left the house it never got any better as they grew up, because they weren’t
white the Chinese kids didn’t have the same happy childhood as the white kids. Chinese families were only allowed
to be in china town, because they would be discriminated if they went out of the Chinese facility. When white
people saw the Chinese in public, they would stare at them or make fun of them.
Abryana Pagtakhan Block D June 5 2019

The federal government should compensate the Chinese because, the Chinese head tax
was only towards the Chinese immigrants, that had to pay $50 per a person, when more immigrants
came to Canada the head tax was raised to $100 in 1900 and in 1903 the price of the head tax was $500.
No matter how high the Canadian government raised the head tax more immigrants were still coming to
Canada. The Canadian government viewed the head tax as way to keep immigrants out of Canada,
because they didn’t want any other race except for white. The Canadian government received $23
million from just the head tax, the Canadian government could have used the $23 million on the
Canadian Pacific Railway, instead of having the Chinese doing it only because it was cheaper. After the
railway was constructed and completed, Canada wanted all the Chinese labourers gone because they
were no use anymore. Not only was Canada using the Chinese as an advantage for the railway, they also
didn’t care about them either. Chinese Canadians had to pay the $500 head tax every couple years if
they don’t they are no longer a citizen to Canada. There were so many Chinese Canadians in Canada this
caused many Canadian workers to be worried about their job, they thought the Chinese immigrants
would overtake the Canadians jobs, which made a very toxic relationship between the Chinese and the
Canadians. The Chinese were not allowed to go to city own properties such as pools, parks, and movie
theaters. Most Chinese families would stay around China town, where they would not be discriminated.
Families that walked out of the china town area would be discriminated or even made fun of by the
white people, the relationship did not just happen in public areas, Chinese children would often be
bullied by the white children. One of the goals the Chinese immigrants wanted in Canada was to have
their children a better education. Education was very rare for Chinese families because schools were
very expensive. Chinese Canadians were very limited to the jobs they could have, they could not work
as a pharmacists, accountants or lawyers. Since the Canadians did not accept the Chinese, they believed
that the Chinese should live more cheaply, because they were a lower class than the Canadians, which it
why the Chinese life style was very different from Canadians. Not earning enough money to look after
the caused many families going hungry or even sick from not having enough food, getting a doctor was
to expensive and the Chinese community couldn’t support one another because each family was going
through the same thing. Canada was getting tired of dealing with the Chinese Canadians, in 1923 the
Chinese immigration act was created, to stop Chinese immigrants coming to Canada. Many immigrant
families wanted to go to Canada because they thought living in Canada would give their family a better
future, but instead the families separated having a father alone in Canada, not seeing their children
grow up or even be a part of their life. The federal government refused to take responsibility for what
they did to the Chinese. The Chinese benefited Canada because of their cheap labour they built the
Canadian Pacific Railway, but after the railway was completed the Canadian government didn’t want to
deal with them anymore, which is why they made their lives so miserable to convince the Chinese to
leave the country.
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Due to the way the federal government handled the Chinese immigrants it was very
unnecessary to have them pay a $500 head tax plus constructing the Canadian Pacific Railway and, only
paying each worker $1.00 per a day while giving the white workers $2.50 per a day. from just the money
of the Chinese head tax the federal government received $23 million and could have used the money to
construct a better railway instead of having the Chinese constructing it only because it was cheaper.
After the railway was completed the federal government passed the Chinese immigration act, created to
ban Chinese immigrants coming to Canada for the next 24 years. therefore, the federal government
should apologize to the Chinese. Not only was the Chinese being used as an advantage to Canada, they
also were not welcomed as well. Most Canadians thought the Chinese would take their jobs causing a
very toxic relationship between the both. Because the immigrants were not white their jobs were very
limited, making it very difficult to take care of themselves or their family. It was already difficult to have
enough money to put food on the table, let alone having their children an education. The children’s lives
weren’t as different as their parents because they too were also being discriminated and bullied. Due to
how the Chinese were being miss treated the federal government should compensate the Chinese.