Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923–1947) National Historic Event

The exclusion of Chinese Immigrants between 1923-1947 was designated as a national historic event in 2023.

Historical importance: Period of time when the Chinese Exclusion Act was in effect, efforts of Chinese Canadians to prevent its passage and lobby for less restrictive immigration policies.

Commemorative plaque: To be confirmedFootnote 1

The Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants, 1923-1947

On 1 July 1923, Canada prohibited Chinese immigration. The Chinese Immigration Act, 1923 (Chinese Exclusion Act) was the culmination of anti-Chinese racism and policies, including the head taxes which it replaced. All Chinese persons living in Canada, even those born here, had to register with the government or risk fines, detainment, or deportation. The Act impeded family reunification, community development, social integration, and economic equality. Chinese Canadian men and women successfully challenged this law, leading to its repeal in 1947. Still, their fight to dismantle racist immigration restrictions continued.

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
English plaque inscription

對華人移民的排斥，1923-1947

1923年7月1日，加拿大禁止了華人移民。1923年的華人移民法案（排華法案），是反華種族主義和政策（包括該法案所取代的人頭稅政策）的頂峰。所有居住在加拿大的華人，甚至是在這裡出生的華人，都必須向政府登記，否則將面臨罰款、拘留或驅逐出境的風險。該法案阻礙了家庭團聚、社區發展、社會融合和經濟平等。華裔加拿大人成功地挑戰了這項法律，導致該法律於 1947 年被廢除。雖然如此，他們為消除種族主義移民限制而進行的鬥爭仍持續了多年。

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Chinese plaque inscription
Black and white photo of a group of man standing and seated on the corner of a building
Men in front of Sam Kee Building, 8 West Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1936
© Public domain / Vancouver Public Library / 17080

 

Trilingual commemorative plaque for the Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923–1947) National Historic Event
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) trilingual commemorative bronze plaque for the Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923–1947) National Historic Event, unveiled in June 2023: English, French, and Chinese (click to enlarge)

Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923-1947)

In 1923, the Canadian government introduced a new Chinese Immigration Act, commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, to stop Chinese immigration. Although immigration from outside of Great Britain and the United States was limited in some way through amendments to the Immigration Act or international agreements, only Chinese persons were excluded from Canada by means of a separate statute that targeted only them. In the 24 years it was in effect, Canada allowed as few as 12 Chinese persons to as many as 50. The exact number is unknown.

 

Historical immigration document showcasing the photo and information of a child
C.I. certificate issued by the Canadian Government exclusively to its Chinese residents. This version of a C.I. certificate was issued mostly for Canadian born: C.I.45 certificate of Mary Quan.
© Courtesy of The Paper Trail collection, University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections
Historical immigration document showcasing the photo and information of a child
C.I.45 certificate of Paul Wong
© Courtesy of The Paper Trail collection

 

The Chinese Exclusion Act was the culmination of widespread anti-Chinese racism and policies increasing in Canada since the 19th century. It replaced the first Chinese Immigration Act of 1885, which included the various head taxes (entry taxes), among other measures to deter immigration from China. Still, Chinese immigration continued, and many white Canadians, predominantly of Anglo-Saxon descent, demanded a complete stop to Chinese immigration. Originating in British Columbia, this movement for exclusion quickly received broad support throughout the country. The new Chinese Immigration Act became law on 1 July 1923, the anniversary of Confederation. From then on, 1 July was “Humiliation Day,” not Dominion Day (Canada Day) for many Chinese Canadians.

 

Group of people on a stage at an outdoor event in a city street
Group of people unveiling a commemorative plaque during an outdoors event in a city street

 

HSMBC bronze commemorative plaque unveiling ceremony for the Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923–1947) National Historic Event, Chinese Canadian Museum, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 2023. Left to right: Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, Chief Executive Officer of the Chinese Canadian Museum; Wilson Miao, Member of Parliament for Richmond Centre; The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development; The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard; Grace Wong, Board Chair, Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia; Nadine spence, Vice President, Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage at Parks Canada; Joe Anderson, HSMBC representative for Alberta.

 

The Chinese Exclusion Act imposed greater restrictions than its predecessor. For example, only Chinese diplomats, government representatives, merchants, Christian missionaries, teachers, Chinese students, children born in Canada who had left for educational or other purposes, and returning Chinese immigrants could be eligible to enter Canada. In addition, the Act prohibited immigrant spouses and children from joining the predominantly male Chinese population in Canada. This virtually halted the growth of Chinese Canadian communities.

Black and white photo of a group of man in uniforms
Chinese Canadian recruits, circa 1944
© Courtesy of the Chinese Canadian Military Museum

Significantly, this Act required all Chinese persons living in Canada, even those born here, to register with the government and to carry certificates with photo identification, or risk fines, detainment, or deportation. This was the only time the federal government imposed such a requirement on a non-Indigenous community during peace (the War Measures Act targeted various groups during the First and Second World Wars). Ultimately, Chinese persons continued to face barriers to civil rights and economic opportunities.

During this time, Chinese Canadian leaders and members of organizations such as the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) in Canada tried to prevent the passage of the Act and lobbied for less restrictive immigration policies. When the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, Chinese Canadian men and women began lobbying for its repeal. After the Second World War, veterans and members of the Committee for the Repeal of the Chinese Immigration Act, co-founded by Kew Dock Yip, joined the movement and led successful campaigns. The Act was repealed on 14 May 1947.

Chinese immigration was placed under the jurisdiction of the Immigration Act in the category of Asian immigration, more broadly. Asian immigration was limited to spouses and unmarried children aged 18 or younger of men already living in Canada. In 1955, the age restriction for dependants was increased to 25. In 1967, overt racial restrictions were removed, and the Immigration Act has continued to evolve. After two decades of lobbying, in 2006, Chinese Canadians received an official apology from the federal government for the head taxes and the exclusion of Chinese immigrants.

“This designation means for us that there is now an official memorialization of the grave historical injustice of the Chinese Exclusion Act acknowledging its xenophobia, human rights violation, racial discrimination, and systemic racism. It hampered the development and engagement of the Chinese community and had an adverse impact on generations of Chinese families. Our hope is that this memorialization will serve as a call for all Canadians, and key institutions in Canada, to strengthen educational efforts which recognize the long-term impacts of this exclusionary legislation, and to be aware and to combat contemporary anti-Asian and anti-Chinese racism in Canada, while never forgetting the past.”

Dr. Lloyd Wong
Associate Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Calgary and
Teresa Woo-Paw
Chair, Action, Chinese Canadians Together Foundation and Former Member of Legislative Assembly and Cabinet of Government of Alberta

This press backgrounder was prepared at the time of the Ministerial announcement in 2023.

Historic designations: In their own words | Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923-1947)

Watch these unique video testimonials from members of the Chinese Canadian community, as they describe this difficult period of time. Hear their perspectives on the importance of connecting with the past and commemorating history in Canada.

Transcript

[An archival newspaper article is shown on screen with the title “They Don’t Want the Chinese.”]

Between 1923 and 1947, Canada locked its doors to most Chinese immigrants with the bitter embrace of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

[An archival picture of an immigration document depicting a Chinese child named Mary Quan.]

Chinese people living in Canada, even those born here, were required by law to register with the government. They had to carry Chinese Immigration Certificates.

[An archival picture of a newspaper shown on screen with the title “Chinese Must be Registered”.]

It was an era marked by discrimination, shattered dreams, and the stifling of hope—a tragic chapter in Canadian history.

[Text slide on screen. Archival image of men in a street.]

Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923-1947)
National Historic Event

[Text slide on screen. Same image: an archival image of men in a street, but the text overtop changes.]

Commemorative plaque unveiling
Senate of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
June 23, 2023

[Text slide on screen. Same image: an archival image of men in a street, but the text overtop changes.]

Presented by
The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
and Parks Canada

[Transitions to Lloyd Wong, Professor of Sociology, University of Calgary, standing next to commemorative plaque, speaking to the camera.]

(LLOYD WONG, Professor of Sociology, University of Calgary)
As a third generation Canadian, the exclusionary period was very much part of my family history.

[Transitions to a number of black and white archival photos, fading in and out, of Lloyd Wong’s family.]

On my father’s side, my grandparents came to Calgary in Canada in the early 1900s and they started a small retail business and started a family.

[Archival black and white photo relating to Lloyd Wong’s father’s family is shown on screen, which fades back to Lloyd speaking in front of the camera.]

My father was born in 1918, and five years later, as a five-year-old, the Exclusion Act was implemented, and my grandparents had to register him as a Chinese person living in Canada.

[Archival black and white photo of Lloyd Wong’s mother and her friends and siblings in 1931, which fades back to Lloyd speaking in front of the camera.]

My mother was born in 1923, the same year as the introduction of the Exclusion Act. And about three or four years later, my mother left with my grandmother and other siblings to go back to China. For my grandmother it was going back, but for my mother it was going to China as an immigrant from Canada.

[An archival newspaper article is shown on screen with the title “Canada to Repeal Chinese Exclusion”.]

The resilience of the Chinese Canadian community ultimately prevailed, leading to the repeal of this unjust law in 1947.

[Archival black and white photos fading in and out of Lloyd Wong’s mother’s family and her siblings.]

(LLOYD WONG)
When they left, they had no idea when they were going to come back, and so eventually almost 2 decades later, with the repeal of the Exclusion Act, they came in 1949.

[Fades to side-by-side archival photographs of Lloyd Wong’s mother and father, first as a young couple with family, then older in age with family, which fades back to Lloyd Wong speaking in front of the camera.]

Roughly 1950, my mother and father met, and so here I am talking to you seven decades later. That’s the personal meaning that this Exclusion Act has for me.

[Text slide on screen.]

On June 23, 2023, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in the Senate of Canada as part of an event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

[Transitions to Teresa Woo-Paw, Founding Board Chair of the Action! Chinese Canadians Together Foundation, standing next to commemorative plaque, speaking to the camera. Fades to several archival photos of Chinese-Canadians.]

(TERESA WOO-PAW, Founding Board Chair, Action! Chinese Canadians Together Foundation)
For the Chinese community, it is an opportunity for us to learn, to reflect, about the experience of our ancestors, and to understand the impact of the Act on the social integration and development of the community.

[Transitions into an archival photo of Chinese-Canadians, which fades into several photographs of the plaque being unveiled in the Senate Chamber.]

Today, it’s about the Government of Canada acknowledging these challenging, darker side of our Canadian history. Acknowledging not only the Act happened, but also the social consequences of the Act.

[Transitions back to Teresa Woo-Paw speaking to the camera. This fades into a photo of a group of people beside the unveiled commemorative plaque including Lloyd Wong, Teresa Woo-Paw, then a photo of ballet dancers in the Senate Hall, then a photo of performers dressed up in costumes in the Senate Chamber.]

We have people from across the country gathering in the Senate Chamber to remember and recognize those who have contributed to the building of Canada, yet never recognized, and now we have an active commemoration and through artistic expressions today that we get to tell their stories.

[Transitions back to Lloyd Wong speaking to the camera.]

I don’t want Canadians to forget about this time period, and I want newer Canadians and those who don’t know about it to be educated about it. So that to me is the most important thing.

[Text slide on screen.]

Since its creation in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) has played a leading role in identifying the important stories that have shaped our country.

[Text slide on screen.]

Parks Canada supports the HSMBC in the commemoration of persons, places and events of national historic significance.
Learn more about the history of Canada: parks.canada.ca/culture

[Text slide on screen.]

Still photos courtesy of:
National Film Board of Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Vancouver Public Library
Lloyd Wong
Vision by David

[Music continues]

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The National Program of Historical Commemoration relies on the participation of Canadians in the identification of places, events and persons of national historic significance. Any member of the public can nominate a topic for consideration by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

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