Monique Keiran: Canada Day was 'Humiliation Day' for Chinese immigrants

Red and white were the order of the day on Saturday as Canadians marked Canada Day— all 40 million of us, according to the latest report from Statistics Canada.Immigration has driven population growth in this country since 1995. About one-quarter of us have ­experienced being a landed immigrant or permanent resident in Canada at some point in our lives. ­StatsCan tells us this was the largest proportion since ­Confederation.

By the early 2040s, half of Canada’s population will comprise immigrants and their Canadian-born children.A different story was playing out 100 years ago. Canada was encouraging immigration then — until last year set a record for the proportion of Canadians who had been immigrants, 1921 had held the honours — but only certain immigrants were welcome back then.

And it applied not just to Chinese nationals but to people of Chinese descent who were British citizens. Predating the draconian apartheid laws of South Africa by 25 years, the Exclusion Act required all Chinese ­living in Canada, even those born here, to register with the government and carry photo identification as evidence of their compliance with the regulations of the act, or risk fines, detainment or deportation.The effect was immediate.

But when these new Canadians and their kids ­starting opening grocery stores, restaurants, laundries and successful freight businesses, white Canadians felt threatened.

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