Subjective Factors
Discrimination against the Chinese began very early. Even though there were Chinese present in the country even before Confederation, they were characterized by the white people as "undesirable". The politicians in British Columbia spoke about their opposition about the presence of Chinese in Canada. Anti-Asian spread from the West to the Parliament Many feared Chinese would take over the work of white laborers As the white people said, the Chinese people were social problems because the Chinese people decided to work in many different places, not only in the mines, after the railway was built. Thus affecting the white people’s jobs since they couldn't find any jobs.
They wanted the Canadian government to stop the Chinese from immigrating to Canada in large groups. After consideration, the Chinese Head Tax was put into effect to try and discourage the Chinese from immigrating, rising from $50 to $500. After this was put into effect and nothing came out of it, except for extra money, the government of Canada decided to completely ban the Chinese from immigrating to Canada. Only selected students and lawyers and some other specific group of people were allowed in Canada.
The government is to blame for believing the white people and also they are to blame for putting the Chinese Exclusion Act into effect. After the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, many Chinese were left with no work and no longer seen as useful to both the CPR and the Canadian government. The government of Canada passed The Chinese Immigration Act, 1885 levying a "Head Tax" of $50 on any Chinese coming to Canada. "After Canada entered World War II on September 10, 1939, Chinese communities greatly contributed to Canada's war effort, mainly in an attempt to persuade Canada to intervene against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had started in 1937. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association requested its members to purchase Canadian and Chinese war bonds and to boycott Japanese goods. Also, many Chinese enlisted in the Canadian forces. But Ottawa and the B.C. government were unwilling to send Chinese-Canadian recruits into action, since they did not want Chinese to ask for enfranchisement after the war." (Wikipedia, 2013)
They wanted the Canadian government to stop the Chinese from immigrating to Canada in large groups. After consideration, the Chinese Head Tax was put into effect to try and discourage the Chinese from immigrating, rising from $50 to $500. After this was put into effect and nothing came out of it, except for extra money, the government of Canada decided to completely ban the Chinese from immigrating to Canada. Only selected students and lawyers and some other specific group of people were allowed in Canada.
The government is to blame for believing the white people and also they are to blame for putting the Chinese Exclusion Act into effect. After the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed, many Chinese were left with no work and no longer seen as useful to both the CPR and the Canadian government. The government of Canada passed The Chinese Immigration Act, 1885 levying a "Head Tax" of $50 on any Chinese coming to Canada. "After Canada entered World War II on September 10, 1939, Chinese communities greatly contributed to Canada's war effort, mainly in an attempt to persuade Canada to intervene against Japan in the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had started in 1937. The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association requested its members to purchase Canadian and Chinese war bonds and to boycott Japanese goods. Also, many Chinese enlisted in the Canadian forces. But Ottawa and the B.C. government were unwilling to send Chinese-Canadian recruits into action, since they did not want Chinese to ask for enfranchisement after the war." (Wikipedia, 2013)