Event held in Calgary to mark 100 years since ‘Chinese Exclusion Act’
Global News
People in Calgary gathered at the downtown library on Friday to mark the 100th anniversary of the the Chinese Exclusion Act to stop Chinese immigration into Canada.
July 1 marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923.
The act — also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act — restricted nearly all Chinese immigration to Canada for decades and an event was held at Calgary’s Central Library Friday to commemorate the anniversary of the act.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the history of Chinese immigration to Canada through storytelling sessions and historians spoke about the challenges and contributions of Chinese immigrants throughout the past century.
Some of the people there had grandparents who were targeted by laws aimed at keeping Chinese people out of Canada, including the Chinese Immigration Act.
“People don’t realize how how racist a policy that was and it was institutionalized by our government. It was something that was immoral, but made legal and that is shocking,” said Ronald Lee.
Lee’s grandfather came to Canada to help build the Canadian Pacific Railway, one of over 15,000 Chinese labourers who first came to Canada in the mid-nineteenth century to assist in the construction of the railroad.
Once the railway was complete, the government of the day set in place a number of measures to stop the flow of immigrants from China to Canada.
When Lee’s grandfather went back to China after the work was complete, he had to pay a $500 tax to be able to return to Canada.
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