The Chinese in British Columbia

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The Chinese in British Columbia
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• In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in
  North America amongst the many other prospectors
  searching for gold in California and BC

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• Due to racism the Chinese did not have the same
  opportunities so most reworked claims formally
  abandoned by white miners

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• By the time gold was fading in 1883 of the 2000
  miners left 1500 were Chinese. Many other Chinese
  had opened stores, restaurants and had farms in BC

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CPR

• In 1881 there was a shortage of workers for the
  CPR so they hired Chinese labourers

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• Between 1881-1885, 17,000 Chinese came to work on
  the railway earning 1.00 per day, providing
  their own food and lodging
• 600 Chinese workers died during the railway
  construction

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• The railway cheated many Chinese workers as they
  had been misled by cost of food and equipment
  which was deducted from their pay
• Forced to abandon dreams of moving back to China
  and moved to Victoria and Vancouver instead
• Caused an increase in racial tension

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• The Asiatic Exclusion League and the Knights of
  Labour were two groups that openly discriminated
  against and harassed Asians living in BC

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• Many Chinese did hard physical labour
• Were even cheated by the English speaking Chinese
  contractors that they worked for
• Two of the largest contractors, Loo Gee Wing and
  Sam Kee each had fortunes of near 1,000,000 by
  1900

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• In 1885 once the railway was completed a head tax
  of 50.00 was imposed on Chinese immigrants by
  the federal government to stop them from coming
  to Canada

• The Chinese also faced many social
  discriminations as they were segregated from the
  white, English speaking immigrants in BC

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Head Tax

• In 1900 Laurier's government increased the tax to
  100.00
• In 1904 increased the tax again to 500.00
• Cut the immigrants coming to Canada from China
  from several thousand each year to 8 in 1905

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• In 1923 The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed
  banning any immigration from China
• In 1947 the government revokes the Chinese
  Exclusion Act and give Chinese the right to vote