Calgarians commemorate 100th anniversary of ‘Chinese Exclusion Act’

Calgarians gathered for a special ceremony Saturday to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act which restricted nearly all Chinese immigration to Canada for decades.

Now known as the ‘Chinese Exclusion Act’, the law passed by the Canadian government in 1923 was an escalation of the head tax implemented in 1885, after more than 17,000 Chinese labourers helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Chinese people were originally forced to pay a $50 head tax to immigrate to Canada, which went up to $500 in 1905. Chinese people were also denied the right to vote, hold public office, own land or work certain jobs.

“We're part of mainstream society. We built this country,” said Ronald Lee who attended the ceremony outside the Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association building.

Lee’s grandfather came to Canada to build the Canadian Pacific Railway and left back to China shortly after. Upon his grandfather’s return to Canada, it cost $500 just to re-enter the country.

“Millions of dollars were raised in income from the Chinese head tax when Canada didn’t have any income tax. It was the Chinese that paid the taxes for the country.”

The head tax remained in place until 1923 when the government amended the Chinese Immigration Act and in 1947, the law was finally repealed.

For Chinese Canadians like Janet Yee, Saturday’s anniversary brings back sad memories of her grandfather Nin Fun Yee who was forced to pay the $500 tax (almost $8,000 in today’s money) just one month before the Exclusion Act was enacted.

“We need to still deal with the racial injustice that is still happening. The degree that Chinese Canadians are still fighting to be recognized as Canadian is part of that history of the building of Canada,” Yee said.

“It was almost 25 years of Canada’s history (1923 to 1947) where no Chinese were allowed without paying this tax and we need to recognize the impact of that.”

Saturday's ceremony featured numerous speeches from dignitaries and members of Calgary’s Chinese cultural community, but it also included students who are learning about the Exclusion Act.

Erica McKinnon is an eighth grade student at the Calgary Chinatown private school who hopes her generation recognizes the injustices of the past.

“I think that it's really unfair and unjust that some of this is still happening today,” she said.

“I think our society has progressed a lot in that area, but we still have lots of work to do.”