Asian Heritage Month

Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity for all Canadians to learn more about the many achievements and contributions of Canadians of Asian descent who, throughout our history, have done so much to make Canada the amazing country we share today. In the first half of the 20th century, Canada was not, in many ways, an inclusive or tolerant society. This was reflected in our country’s immigration policy and in social attitudes toward ethnic and other minorities in the early 1900s. The story of the Komagata Maru — a ship carrying predominantly Sikh migrants that unsuccessfully challenged existing immigration policies restricting migration from Asia in 1914 — is an example of how the exhibition explores attitudes about race and religion. Further, government policy toward Chinese immigration to Canada reflected racial attitudes of the time. The Chinese head tax, instituted after the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, was systematically increased in the early 1900s. In 1923, the federal government went beyond the fee-based admission policy of the head tax and passed the Chinese Immigration Act, also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act. It effectively cut off any further migration from China. The act remained in effect until 1947. Chinese Canadians maintained community solidarity and fought for their rights through a variety of community associations throughout the interwar period. The Chinese Students Soccer team — based in Vancouver, British Columbia — was a tangible reminder of the Chinese community’s resilience in this difficult period. Founded in 1920 and winners of the prestigious Mainland Cup in 1933, the team transcended prejudices and racial boundaries of the time: Chinese and white people were at least equals on the field.