History of Chinese immigration to Canada

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

History of Chinese immigration to Canada (short, easy version)

Chinese people began arriving in Canada in the late 18th century. The first small group came to Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island in the 1780s as contract workers. A few hundred Chinese laborers were brought in over the next decade, but the settlement was disrupted and many were sent away. After this early start, large waves of Chinese immigration happened later, shaped by work, opportunity, and government policy.

Gold rush era and early settlements
- The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858 drew many Chinese workers to British Columbia. They helped mine and settle in several towns, including Barkerville, which became Canada’s first Chinese community. Chinese migrants also formed Chinatowns in other BC towns and in the interior, where communities stayed long after the gold rush ended.

Building the railroad and province-wide settlement
- When British Columbia joined Confederation in 1871, building a railroad to eastern Canada became a priority. Chinese workers were recruited from China and California to help construct the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Between 1880 and 1885, more than 17,000 Chinese laborers built part of the CPR. Many lived in tents and faced dangerous work and low pay; some died in accidents. Chinese workers helped put the railway through difficult mountain terrain and established Chinese communities along the rail line.

Discrimination, laws, and exclusion (1885–1947)
- From 1885 to 1923, Chinese immigrants faced harsh laws. Canada imposed a head tax on Chinese entrants (initially $50, then higher). The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) was formed to support Chinese communities and represent their interests.
- A federal Royal Commission in 1902–07 labeled the Chinese as unfit for full citizenship, which paved the way for stricter limits. In 1903 and later, governments increased landing fees and tightened rules. In 1923, the Chinese Immigration Act effectively banned most Chinese immigration to Canada; only a few categories (merchants, diplomats, students, or special cases) were allowed, and people of British nationality were also affected. This period left many Chinese Canadians living as men who came alone, with families left behind in China.
- During this era, Chinese communities concentrated in places like Vancouver’s Chinatown, Victoria, and other West Coast towns, where they developed their own social and economic networks despite discrimination.

Post-war changes and gradual inclusion (1947–1967)
- The Chinese Immigration Act was repealed in 1947, allowing more Chinese people to move to Canada again, though family reunification remained limited for some time.
- Chinese Canadians gained the vote federally and provincially in 1947.
- In the 1950s–1960s, Canada began addressing immigration practices based on race. In 1967, Canada removed race and place-of-origin from immigration rules, opening the door to more diverse newcomers. A 1971 policy of multiculturalism promoted the inclusion of different cultures, including Chinese Canadians, into Canadian society.

Late 20th century to today: redress, Hong Kong, and a changing source of newcomers (1970s–present)
- In the 1980s and 1990s, Chinese communities pushed for redress for past injustices, especially the head tax. The government faced pressure to apologize and compensate, leading to a formal apology and compensation discussions in the 2000s. In 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized in the House of Commons, and survivors or their spouses received compensation.
- The late 1990s saw a surge of immigration from Hong Kong as political uncertainties rose there. From 1991 to 1996, about 30,000 Hong Kong residents emigrated to Canada each year, many settling in Toronto and Vancouver. After Hong Kong’s handover in 1997, numbers stabilised and many immigrants later returned or stayed as Canada’s economy and ties with Asia evolved.
- Since the 1990s, Mainland China has become the largest source of Chinese immigration to Canada. Between 1999 and 2009, large numbers came from China, with annual arrivals often in the tens of thousands. By the 2010s, the make-up of Chinese newcomers diversified, with significant Cantonese-speaking communities and new immigrants from various parts of Asia.
- Chinese Canadians have become more active in politics and public life. Notable milestones include Douglas Jung, the first Chinese-Canadian MP (1957–1962); Raymond Chan, the first ethnic Chinese cabinet minister (1993); Olivia Chow’s election to Parliament (2006) and later tenure as Toronto mayor, Ida Chong as a provincial minister, and Norman Kwong as lieutenant governor in Alberta. Chinese-Canadian communities have also formed national organizations and cultural groups, contributing to Canadian society in education, culture, business, and politics.
- Today, Chinese Canadians are diverse, with communities across Canada—especially in Vancouver, Toronto, and Markham—comprising people from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other regions. Some organizations, such as the Chinese Professionals Association of Canada, bring together thousands of members. The community continues to grow and to influence Canadian culture, economy, and public life through language, cuisine, business, and civic engagement.

In short, Chinese immigration to Canada began with a small early presence, grew with gold rush migration and railroad work, faced decades of discrimination and exclusion, and ultimately expanded into a vibrant, diverse, and politically active part of Canadian society.