Test Lesson One
A deeper dive
Learning Intentions
In this module, you will learn about the factors that influenced Japanese migrants to come to Canada and explore the challenges they faced. Additionally, you will read about the contributions made by Japanese settlers to social, economic, and political life in British Columbia. Some key learnings in this module are:
- understanding the push and pull factors contributing to the migration of Japanese people to Canada.
- identifying which primary industries attracted Japanese migrants and became central to the growth of communities.
- understanding the impact of labour unions and community organizations in the lives of Japanese settlers.
- understanding the causes of racial tension between Japanese and white settlers in B.C..
- learn about the forms of protest adopted by Japanese Canadians to fight systemic racism and advocate for equality with other Canadians.
Anti-Asian Immigration Policies and Systemic Racism
The ‘Oriental Problem’
Late in the 19th and early 20th century it was not uncommon in British Columbia for white settlers to write about the “oriental problem”. For white settlers the arrival of immigrants from China, Japan and India presented a problem. To restrict immigration, Canada passed its first law based on ethnicity. In 1885, a head tax of $50 was introduced and continued in increasing amounts until 1923. The head tax was replaced by the Chinese Immigration Act, commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. It required all Chinese persons living in Canada, including native born to register with the government or risk fines, detainment or deportation. During the 24 years it was in effect, Canada allowed between 12 and 50 Chinese persons in any given year.
British Columbia’s attempts to stop immigration and restrict employment were occasionally frustrated by Ottawa when the provincial government overstepped it’s constitutional authority. The federal government, not the provincial, had the constitutional authority to restrict immigration. The Treaty of Commerce and Navigation signed in 1894 allowed subjects of each country “full liberty to enter, travel or reside any part of the dominions and possessions of the other”. Britains alliance with Japan made it difficult for the federal government to enact specific measures restricting immigration form Japan.
Anti-Asian sentiment erupted into riots in San Francisco (1905), Bellingham (1905) and in Vancouver in 1907. Lead by the Asiatic Exclusion League who held signs such as “Keep Canada White” and “Stop the Yellow Peril,” swarms of mobs smashed windows and damaged properties owned by Chinese and Japanese immigrants in the Powell Street area. The attacks cost Asian businesses thousands of dollars in damage and lost revenue. The Canadian government compensated the communities for their financial losses but made no effort to root out the racist fervour. Instead, it worked to prevent further Asian immigration by enacting the “continuous journey law and negotiating with Japan the “Gentlemen’s Agreement.”
Did You Know?
Japanese Canadians began arriving in British Columbia in the 1870s, right around the time BC joined the confederation.
In 1871, the ethnic makeup of BC was estimated to be approximately 25,660 Indigenous, 8,500 white, 1,500 Chinese, and 500 Black residents.
In 1872, the first Legislative Assembly passed the Qualification and Registration of Voters Act, 1872, preventing both Indigenous and Chinese peoples from voting in provincial elections. In particular, Chinese residents were deliberately excluded because of fears they would monopolize the job market due to their willingness to work in difficult and challenging positions for lower wages than white workers.
To discourage the increasing numbers of non-European immigrants, in 1895 the right to vote in provincial elections was denied to those of Japanese descent through the Provincial Voters’ Act Amendment Act, 1895, even if they were Canadian citizens.
Anti-Asian sentiment erupted into riots in San Francisco (1905), Bellingham (1905) and in Vancouver in 1907. Lead by the Asiatic Exclusion League who held signs such as “Keep Canada White” and “Stop the Yellow Peril,” swarms of mobs smashed windows and damaged properties owned by Chinese and Japanese immigrants in the Powell Street area. The attacks cost Asian businesses thousands of dollars in damage and lost revenue. The Canadian government compensated the communities for their financial losses but made no effort to root out the racist fervour. Instead, it worked to prevent further Asian immigration by enacting the “continuous journey law and negotiating with Japan the “Gentlemen’s Agreement.”
The ‘Continuous Journey’
The “continuous journey regulation” was introduced in 1908 to prevent immigrants from landing in Canada unless they travel directly from their country of origin. Without specifying exclusion based on race, it excluded immigrants from India since the main immigration routes from those countries did not offer direct passage to Canada. This regulation was challenged in 1914 when the Komagata Maru sailed into Vancouver and remained for two months until the Supreme Court of BC upheld the legislation and it was escorted out of the harbour. Only 112 Indian immigrants gained entry into Canada between 1910 and 1920.
The Gentlemen’s Agreement
The Hayashi-Lemieux Accord (1908), often referred to as the ‘Gentlemen’s Agreement’ saved Japan the humiliation of an official policy targeting Japanese immigrants. It also saved Canada the complications of contradicting a British treaty. At this time Britain and Japan were allies and Canada followed Britain’s foreign policies. No more than 400 Japanese passports were to be issued to people travelling to Canada each year with some exemptions:
Those returning to Canada as well as the wives, children, and parents of those in Canada.
Those working as domestic or agricultural employees of Japanese people in Canada. Labourers approved by the Canadian government.
In 1928, further restrictions limited the total entry of Japanese immigrants to 150. Reforms to immigration law in the 1960s significantly changed the standards of Canadian immigration. These changes deemphasized the preference for European (white) immigrants and led to the globalization of Canadian immigration we are familiar with today.
Volupta temquissit qui re periae. Xerumet ea sequae dolore volore volecuptur, cone cum qui blam, odit aut exero ea volorum eostem et pos inciate sa sandend isquam coribus.
Nobitatur? Ratur mi, tet ullut dolectur? Et qui ut es accatur ma doluptatiur sundaero ipic temquos eostinv elitius apition excea imus alis molupti aeceriatem rerita velest molupta volorio to dis et, acias escieni mollestrum faceatur? Doluptur reperia nos es di atemporpor rerem. Hitiatusda perum quibusc iatibus.
Porumque cus perro endaest, comnis quas aut eatibus, solupie ndaerio dolestibusda dolorum et estem. Ut harciunt ommolorro iducipis magnihi llaborp orest, te que eum, sequo quo elit molenis maxim iumeturis aute ipidem ad quunt qui tem que molupta errorep tissimi liquid qui conseque dolo eost voluptis ea quae sunt a nis cus dolorpore cus, es am res et la coritaspe velestiam ent, vel magnati busciat quam eum ex et ex etur ad que susandae pre nullabo rehent latis sint quo et explibusam, sandes acessi as destia sed quam que volles assus et re persperia inus mi, quia si doluptatur asped ut quaes suntur? Xima quidit hillorit est, quaecae pelitem reicilla inulla con repudae molore, si voloremporem net, sit quiatis perio quosam in preptatis ent voleniet, quam, sum ium quaectae cus.
Ducimil el mi, veratin veniae versperectas et mil mint.
Natem volupta erorporum, ipienim lanto ea niminulpa volupti solore, iur ma quatias peraest emporior am labor sitios abores acides dellend ictatqui natur ma quistis quiae. Entis non rae nonsequiae sitas qui bea sini berferu ntumenia nem es senis res experch icipsam iur mo etusapero quiame nitatas eatus.
Ihicaborio vendant ionseces molorit omnimai onsequi atendus vento officto vendandae eatum sequide molorias solut pliquunto et erianim a de inctatem aliaepere, ellest, simusam, iminverum, que core posa aut ligenias dellaut di ut voluptatum qui qui blautem quidit pelis arum is ra aut quiscia sedit aut molores editatius ut ressitem ipsamendam, sin eumque opta consed molutatur aciae praes dis ex earchil evenit volentios ipsae la volorum eaquam sima doluptatem. Sum que mincipi dusdaescia con coreris re mossunt alicientiur, ut hitiunt optaspero tes nobisciis et officid ut et, officta venditam es assitatur sed et prat.
Optaqua spientur? Milibus aut istissuntet aut quate voluptaqui ut hit, iusamendere, volumquibus pro dit et quam, istorit atincta am, ommolo optas eris dolupta soluptatio. Itatur mo quae ipsum, sam dolupta temperum, nit, ipidis simaio blam est eossit labo. Ut eiciis denimagnitia doloribus eaquam qui rest et volorep eribus sincium et as erume officil endandae nos mo evendestrum nis dendem quaecum labo. Itas doluptat inctatis a doluptatist dolorpora volo dolupta tistium rendisim quaspiet, optateture volupid erchillant dolorate natur as sintus aut autat aut de dunt quunt.
Ut occum qui cus et res ea voluptatius ducius saperec eriasimendem de vel idunt ad quissint.
Obistior sequi offic to idenda ni doluptium etur? Quid estiis ium reprorum libus aut et audaniatquam est, es abor sum simpore nonem volende net voluptat et aut laborpore sin non reiciumquia estrum deniscient.
Iquid untio. Lupic temporest volor molenda vellautam voluptas reperestiis nobis ercia doluptus, core exerferum, corrum quistiis conse magnihi llectameni nulparum dellaborro debit et aut laut enis posam imus, seque etur aut vitet dolupta tquiat maxim esto volora poruptat pe int fugit essinvel et quibusam es arciis evelenihil mollautet venis dolore, seque cores eatur, veliquae et quation placius, sequia suntotaspedi num doloreptate eturiam quis sundign atquia excepud amusam deruptibus veles samet facero odi conemol uptus, sam alis nulpa cusam verferum et rendebist fuga. Ommodio qui reictur?
Il ilitiis doluptas rero conecta tendae prepuditatia dera eum dis vella dolorep uditem rae ipis res doloria dolenem porenimusdae vendel iminvenimi, nis rest ut ant mo berita plaborum qui omnime re sit aliqui quati blabo. Nequide stiatetur? Quiditae eumquate corem et elenes aut pa sae.