As we commemorate the centenary of the racist practices that the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act encoded into law one hundred years, it is important to shine a light on this history, and to address the root causes of racism, hatred and discrimination. This unconscionable federal law prevented Chinese people from immigrating to Canada. It created untold sorrow and suffering, separated families and broke intergenerational ties. It undermined and prevented Chinese communities trying to grow and flourish in their new home in Canada.
This was just one of many racist laws that discriminated and segregated people on the basis of race and cultural or ethnic origin. Starting in 1885, the Federal government forced Chinese immigrants to pay a “head tax” on arrival to Canada. In 1908, the Federal government’s “continuous journey” rule was adopted to bar new migrants from Asian countries who travelled by ship routes with stopovers.
Different jurisdictions passed targeted laws to prevent migrants from Asian countries and racialized people from taking certain jobs, even to stop them from taking part in leisure activities like swimming.
During and after the Second World War, federal law caused thousands of Japanese Canadians to lose their personal property to seizure and face imprisonment in interment camps or forced labour in harsh conditions, far from home.
Hill Times: Courts unlikely to provide fifth extension to Ottawa to address Lost Canadians before November, says immigration lawyer
Parliament needs to “just get on with it” and address the issue of “lost Canadians” through amendments to the Canada Citizenship Act, according to Jenny Kwan, NDP critic of citizenship and immigration.
She told The Hill Times that she wonders if a judge would have the patience to grant the federal government a fifth extension on a court order requiring action before the current November deadline.
“This is astounding. What the current situation is right now is that Canada’s Citizenship Act, with respect to lost Canadians, is in violation of the Charter [of Rights and Freedoms], and [Bill C-3] will make it Charter-compliant,” said Kwan (Vancouver East, B.C.).