This political cartoon image is a visual representation of the exclusion of Chinese migrants back in 1923 at one of the portals located in British Columbia. This image is a result of a policy passed through the Canadian legislation called the Chinese Immigration Act also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. The cartoon depicts the injustice in immigration where the ‘whites’ were easily able to immigrate versus the Orientals were banned for 24 years due to their ethnicity. The only exceptions to this act were if you were a student, merchants, diplomats, and Canadian born Chinese returning from education in China. (Chan, 2017) Ironically, this act was passed on July 1st which is also known as Canada Day today.
Migration has been a controversial topic for many years because of the discrimination that people of color faced in western countries. I chose this image because it resonates well with how immigration has been an issue since the day migrants had first entered into Canada. Nowadays, immigration corruption is not noticeable to the public eye. However, I can understand that it hides the fact that discrimination has existed since the time of the Canadian Pacific railway. Many people are selected on the basis of their education, wealth, and status from their hometown. Therefore, people who enjoy these privileges are mainly people who are part of western society and only a few oriental people who meet these standards are allowed entrance into Canada. In my opinion, it is important for our upcoming new generation to know how migration has changed in the past century and understand the complicated history behind Canada day.
URL/Link: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-immigration-act#
Keywords: Discrimination, Canadian History, Migration
Author: Border Crossing Feminist
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