Chinese Immigration Act, 1900

Chinese Immigration Act, 1900. The Chinese Immigration Act, 1900 was a significant amendment to the restrictive Chinese Immigration Act, 1885 passed by the Parliament of Canada. It dramatically increased the financial barrier to entry for Chinese immigrants by doubling the discriminatory head tax to $100. This legislation was a direct response to political pressure, particularly from British Columbia, and represented a major escalation in the federal government's official policy of limiting Asian immigration.

Background and Context

The passage of this act occurred within a climate of intense Sinophobia and economic anxiety in late 19th-century Canada, especially in the province of British Columbia. Following the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, for which thousands of Chinese labourers had been contracted, there was a strong political movement to prevent further settlement. The original Chinese Immigration Act, 1885 had established a $50 head tax, but many in British Columbia, including politicians like Sir John A. Macdonald and later proponents within the Conservative Party, deemed it insufficient. Organizations such as the Asiatic Exclusion League and newspapers like the Victoria Daily Times fueled public sentiment for more stringent measures. This period also saw similar restrictive policies in other nations, notably the United States with its Chinese Exclusion Act.

Provisions of the Act

The core provision of the act was the increase of the head tax imposed on every person of Chinese origin entering Canada from $50 to $100, a substantial sum equivalent to roughly two years' wages for a labourer at the time. The act maintained all the stringent reporting and enforcement mechanisms of the 1885 legislation. Shipmasters were required to present passenger lists to Customs officers and collect the tax before disembarkation. The law applied to all Chinese persons regardless of occupation, with exemptions only for diplomats, merchants, scientists, and students. The revenue collected was directed to the federal treasury, ostensibly to fund the enforcement of the act itself.

Legislative Process and Passage

The bill was introduced by the government of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier of the Liberal Party, bowing to relentless pressure from British Columbia members of Parliament and the provincial legislature. While Laurier personally expressed some reservations, his government prioritized national unity and political expediency. The debate in the House of Commons was contentious but one-sided, with overwhelming support from MPs from British Columbia and others advocating for a "White Canada policy". The bill passed through Parliament with little effective opposition and received royal assent from the Governor General, The Earl of Minto, on July 18, 1900.

Impact and Effects

The immediate effect was a sharp but temporary decline in the number of Chinese immigrants, particularly labourers and gold rush prospectors seeking entry through ports like Victoria. The exorbitant tax created severe financial hardship, often forcing men to migrate alone and leaving families in China for decades. It solidified a bachelor society demographic in Chinatowns across Canada, such as those in Vancouver and Toronto. Economically, it restricted the growth of the Chinese Canadian community and limited their labour mobility. The law further entrenched racial segregation and discrimination, influencing later policies like the Continuous journey regulation applied against Indian immigrants.

Amendments and Repeal

The 1900 Act proved to be an intermediate step. Due to continued pressure, the head tax was raised again to $500 by the even more severe Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, often called the "Chinese Exclusion Act". That 1923 law virtually banned all Chinese immigration until its repeal in 1947. The infamous head tax system, initiated in 1885 and escalated in 1900, remained a symbol of state-sanctioned racism. Formal apologies and redress were not issued until the late 20th and early 21st centuries, notably by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2006 on behalf of the Government of Canada.

Category:1900 in Canadian law Category:History of immigration to Canada Category:Anti-Chinese sentiment in Canada Category:Legal history of British Columbia