Anti-Asian Riots, 1907

Closing the Door to Immigration

Many Canadians disliked Sifton’s “open-door immigration policy”

Why? 1.  Labour organizations feared that unskilled

workers might take jobs away from their union members.

2.  Some feared that the British character of Canada would be lost

3.  French-Canadians thought their culture and people would be overrun

B.C. & Immigration

Immigration was a very thorny issue in British Columbia.

Why? 1. Employers were hiring Asian immigrants in

the mines, forests, and the canneries because they worked hard and for less money.

Sino-phobia ► Chinese immigrants comprised the largest single

immigrant group in BC Why?

1.  Cariboo Gold Rush 2.  Construction of the CPR

► Mostly men lived in “Chinatowns” in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, and New Westminster.

► Most Chinese were employed in the Salmon industry

Frank Oliver

► Frank Oliver became the Minister of the Interior in 1905.

► He supported the Anti-Asian sentiment in B.C.

► He introduced a more selective immigration policy aimed at Asian immigrants.

► Provincial governments started to restr ict Chinese, Japanese, a n d E a s t I n d i a n immigrants

Chinese Head Tax ► Canada's response to anti-

Chinese sentiment was to a p p o i n t a R o y a l Commission. Subsequently, the government imposed a head tax on incoming Chinese labourers of $50, equal to the maximum one year's savings of a Chinese worker in Canada.

Chinese Head Tax

► In 1901, Canada doubled the head tax to $100, and appointed a second Royal Commiss ion. I t conc luded Chinese immigrants were obnoxious, dangerous and unfit for Canada.

► In 1904, the same year that the United States extended i ts Exc lus ion Act indefinitely, Canada raised the head tax to $500, equal to two years' gross earnings of a Chinese labourer here

Hostility Increases

► Hostil ity increased towards Chinese immigrants during the economic recession of 1903-1907

► Social reformers began to associate the Chinese with crime, immorality and disease

► Vancouver’s “Chinatown” became a focus for reformers wanting to highlight the dreadful living conditions (inadequate and overcrowded housing, poor sewage and water facilities)

Hostility Increases

► Although Chinatown merchants asked for improved conditions during the early 20th century, city councilors and journalists persisted in seeing the terrible living and working conditions as a result of moral and cultural flaws among the Chinese population

► Outside observers were disturbed by the tendency of the Chinese to smoke opium, and thus a law prohibiting the sale of the drug was passed in 1908 !  Note: opium was first introduced to the Chinese by the

British

Anti-Asian Riot in Vancouver, 1907

► Threatened by the low wages paid to Asians during the economic recession, hostile to a culture that they saw as criminal and immoral, the majority culture tried to enforce its ideal of a “White Canada”

► In 1907, the Asiatic Exclusion League was formed in BC by members of a working men’s association concerned about the impact of the continued presence of poorly paid Chinese workers

Anti-Asian Riot in Vancouver, 1907

► On September 8, 1907, upset that 11,000 Asians had immigrated to Canada that year, and hearing rumours that more were arriving, thousands of British Columbians marched through the streets of Vancouver to protest the settlement of Chinese people

► Protesters carried signs “Keep Canada White” and “Stop the Yellow Peril” while signing “Rule Britannia”

Anti-Asian Riot in Vancouver, 1907 ► More than 10,000 people assembled outside city hall ► They burned a statue of Dunsmuir (coal-mining baron

who “dared” to hire Chinese) ► After giving wild speeches against the Chinese, leaders

encouraged the crowd to move towards Chinatown and Little Tokyo

► Four hours of rioting began with the breaking of windows and looting of Asian businesses

► While the Chinese did not fight back, the Japanese did ► Many on both sides were hurt (2 “Whites” dead,

unknown number of Chinese or Japanese dead)

Effects of the Riot

► Immediate effect was to heighten racial feelings between Asians and “White” Canadians

► Racism directed to all non-white groups (including Aboriginal groups)

Effects of the Riot

► The government responded by limiting immigration !  Head Tax remained at $500 !  1907, “Gentleman's Agreement” between Japan

and Canada to limit Japanese immigration to 400/year (reduced to 150 in 1928)

!  July 1, 1923, federal government passed a law suspending Chinese immigration indefinitely (ended in 1947)