The early 1990s became a significant part of Canadian history and the large increase in immigration rates. The advancement of modern technology resulted in the demand for more skilled workers. Some jobs that were in demand for workers were in the construction industry. Coincidentally, the Chinese people were one of the main groups that had the opportunity to move to Canada to explore these new jobs. In 1997, Hong Kong people were experiencing hardships as Hong Kong sovereignty was going to be transferred to Chinese communist rule. This was a hard time for Hong Kong people because of the massive changes that might occur if Hong Kong removed its democratic freedoms. As a result of these political changes by the Chinese communist government,
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From early railway workers, to present day Chinese people, the Canadian government has played a large role in shaping the identity of Chinese people in Canada. Historically, the first transformation of Chinese identity began when Stephen Harper issued an official apology to the Chinese for implementing the Chinese Head Tax. The Chinese Head Tax was a tax implemented by the Canada government in 1880s to restrict the access of resources by the Chinese after the railway was completed. Chinese people who wanted to enter Canada had to provide a sum of money to the government, these fees ranged from $50-$100 per person. The implementation of the Chinese Head Tax exemplified that racism and other social divides existed in Canada. According to Razack (2007), the Canadian government attempted a form of racial profiling. In terms of the Chinese, it showed that the Canadian government created the assumption that the Chinese only wanted to enter Canada to obtain resources and to take control of society, which was not the …show more content…
This situation partially reflects the situation in fCanada and Quebec. As well, from history, Canadians have always had a negative opinion towards the Chinese due to their involvement in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In a nation where Eurocentric ideologies are heavily valued, this has caused racial and social divides in the country. Canadians should acknowledge the contributions of the Chinese with the Canadian Pacific Railway. Without the railway, Canada would not be Canada today as the two largest cities, Vancouver and Toronto, would not have been interconnected. Significantly, the progression of Canada to a multicultural nation has changed the attitudes towards minority groups as a whole. The Canadian government has acknowledged mistakes of the past and is trying to create a new identity for Chinese-Canadians. The scholar works of Razack, Fleras, Han, and Delgado have explored the reasons for this sociological phenomenon to occur. The personal experiences of my own have also provided some clarity with the situation between the Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong people. To outsiders, they fall under Chinese people, but in my own eyes, there are two distinct groups that have been influenced by two different ideologies, one Eurocentric, and one with communist Chinese ideologies. However, with differences aside, the Canadian government continues
From early railway workers, to present day Chinese people, the Canadian government has played a large role in shaping the identity of Chinese people in Canada. Historically, the first transformation of Chinese identity began when Stephen Harper issued an official apology to the Chinese for implementing the Chinese Head Tax. The Chinese Head Tax was a tax implemented by the Canada government in 1880s to restrict the access of resources by the Chinese after the railway was completed. Chinese people who wanted to enter Canada had to provide a sum of money to the government, these fees ranged from $50-$100 per person. The implementation of the Chinese Head Tax exemplified that racism and other social divides existed in Canada. According to Razack (2007), the Canadian government attempted a form of racial profiling. In terms of the Chinese, it showed that the Canadian government created the assumption that the Chinese only wanted to enter Canada to obtain resources and to take control of society, which was not the …show more content…
This situation partially reflects the situation in fCanada and Quebec. As well, from history, Canadians have always had a negative opinion towards the Chinese due to their involvement in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. In a nation where Eurocentric ideologies are heavily valued, this has caused racial and social divides in the country. Canadians should acknowledge the contributions of the Chinese with the Canadian Pacific Railway. Without the railway, Canada would not be Canada today as the two largest cities, Vancouver and Toronto, would not have been interconnected. Significantly, the progression of Canada to a multicultural nation has changed the attitudes towards minority groups as a whole. The Canadian government has acknowledged mistakes of the past and is trying to create a new identity for Chinese-Canadians. The scholar works of Razack, Fleras, Han, and Delgado have explored the reasons for this sociological phenomenon to occur. The personal experiences of my own have also provided some clarity with the situation between the Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong people. To outsiders, they fall under Chinese people, but in my own eyes, there are two distinct groups that have been influenced by two different ideologies, one Eurocentric, and one with communist Chinese ideologies. However, with differences aside, the Canadian government continues