Reflection on Chinese Canadian experiences as depicted in New Immigrants by Yu
Though Canada has made tremendous steps in addressing the contentious immigration issues from the 20th century, the enactment of the Chinese Immigration Act in 1885 and the subsequent events as its result remains indelible in the minds of various people of Chinese descent. As Yu highlights, the events leading to the enactment of the head tax disguised as the Chinese Immigration Act in 1885 curtailed the transpacific migration, altered immigration to migration, and unfairly discriminated against the people from the Chinese ancestry. As a means to conform to the dominant white supremacy ideology by them, the Canadian government imposed several anti-Asian immigration policies that aimed to reduce the flow of immigrants in Canada. Thus, the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 created a hurdle against the Chinese immigrants and shaped the experience of the already existing immigrants as it disfranchised them, denied them their legal rights, and gave room for white supremacy to thrive, leaving the Chinese immigrants significantly exposed to racial discrimination and economic exploitation.
Based on the experience of Yu, the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 imposed undue hindrance on the Chinese immigrants and gave room for white supremacy. Before the formulation of the Chinese Head Tax that typified the Chinese Immigration Act, the flow of the immigrants from the Asian ancestry, especially the Chinese, was soaring, and the influx of the Chinese immigrants in Pacific Canada was high. Yu notes that “China sent over 155,000; India over 129,000; the Philippines over 77,000; and Pakistan over 57,000” (1012). As evident in the above data, the Chinese population was relatively high, raising the alarm among the lawmakers to act. Buoyed by the ease of access through construction of the transpacific railroad, the movements of the Chinese in Canada remained easy. However, such movement led to the rise of white supremacy movements, and “politics were laced with White Canada Forever slogans” (1016). Thus, from a personal perspective, such undertakings played a vital role in influencing the formulation of the Chinese Immigration Act that negatively affected Chinese Immigrants.
Again, the Act negatively affected the economic well-being of Chinese immigrants and subjected them to massive violations of their rights. Yu notes that “the head tax levied on each Chinese immigrant was equivalent to the annual earning of the Chinese workers” (1015). The Act also opened an avenue for the marginalization of the Chinese immigrants and the First Nation individuals as they were pushed out of their lands, denied the right to vote, and subjected to other forms of segregation. Thus, from a personal perspective, the immigration act’s enactment was dominantly driven by malice and in line with the white supremacist ideologies hell-bent on creating a white Canada and failing to embrace the diversity that was on the high rise during such period.