A paper on the slavery and discrimination throughout the history of Essay

A paper on the slavery and discrimination throughout the history of Chinese Immigration in Canada - Essay Example As such the history of Chinese immigration to Canada is a story paved with both slavery and discrimination. Discrimination as to race, age and gender are not only discouraged in Canada, it is considered criminal. The push to eradicate discrimination is so strong that even its citizens have the reputation of being exceedingly politically correct. There are even some who mock them for being ‘too friendly’ a country. But its surprising that such a tactful country, overly sensitive against discrimination has a dark past. And this is not merely the case of the citizenship oppressing certain minority group. On the contrary, it is the government who committed these act of prejudice as it actually legislated a series of discriminatory laws. But in June 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized at the Parliament for the discriminating policies imposed on Chinese immigrants in the early 20th century. "On behalf of the people and government of Canada, we offer a full apology to Chinese-Canadians for the head tax and express our deepest sorrow for the subsequent exclusion of Chinese immigrants," said Harper. (Xinhua) "We acknowledge the high cost of the head tax meant that many family members were left behind in China, never to be reunited, or that families lived apart and in some cases in extreme poverty for years," he said. It is believed that an estimate of 81,000 people paid this tax. (Xinhua) And on the day of the apology, there are about 35 survivors, 360 of their widows and fewer than 4,000 of their children. (Xinhua) Some of these survivors were present during the apology. Methodology To better understand the abovementioned apology, a research on the factual basis was necessary. Reference to news articles and news archives where made. As well as those to different sector groups. This report aims to present the discrimination suffered by the Chinese when they immigrated to Canada. Hence, after determining the historical facts, analysis of these data would proceed. And a discussion of the discrimination committed against Chinese immigrants in Canada would follow. Historical Background According to my research the following are the historical background of the immigration of Chinese nationals to Canada: The first Chinese immigrants to set foot in Canada were brought from Macao in 1788 by British explorer John Meares. And it was said that they were also the last for the next 70 years. It was thought that they married into native communities on the island and their cultural traces soon lost. (Chinese Immigration) In 1842, Britain and China entered the Treaty of Nanking where in it said that their respective subjects should enjoy full security and protection within the territory of the other. (Con) This included Canada. In the 1850's, due to the gold rush, there was an influx of Chinese immigrants in North America. But when gold was found in Frasier River in British Columbia in around 1858, these Chinese migrants headed north to Frasier Island in British Columbia. In 1860, others began to arrive in British Columbia directly from China. In 1861, a Victoria newspaper welcomed the immigrants by saying: "We have plenty of room for many thousands of Chinamen. There can be no shadow of a doubt but their industry enables them to add very largely to our own revenues." (Chinese Immigration) But they worked as cooks, launderers or as houseboys for wealthy white families. In the 1870's these immigrants were predominantly male. By 1879, the number of Chinese immigrants in the province was estimated to be 6,000. In 1880's the Canadian Pacific Railway was constructed and Chinese workers were brought to help. Between 1881 and 1884, over 15,000 Chinese came to Canada. But Chinese workers were often called on to do the more dangerous jobs. They worked with explosives, carried heavy rocks and stayed in unsafe tents. And pay was really low as compared with the