One hundred years ago, on July 1, 1923, the Canadian government introduced a new Chinese Immigration Act, commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, to stop Chinese immigration. The act was the culmination of widespread anti-Chinese racism and policies increasing in Canada since the 19th century.
The legislation remained in effect until its repeal in 1947.
To mark the centenary, FamilySearch and Ancestry have both added these Chinese immigration records to their websites and made them searchable.
FamilySearch’s collection, with 177, 418 records, is called, Chinese Immigration Act Records, 1923-1946, and Ancestry’s, with 155,894 records, is called, Chinese Exclusion Act Records, 1923-1947.
Each record includes a photo of the individual who completed the form, along with date and place of birth, brief physical description, and date and port of arrival. Infants were also registered.
All Chinese persons living in Canada, even those born here, had to register with the government for an identification card within one year or risk fines, detainment, or deportation.
Chinese people who didn’t register for an identification card could be jailed or fined up to $500. They were also the only group completely barred from immigrating to Canada because of their race. The Canadian government had previously tried to discourage Chinese immigration by charging a tax that increased from $50 per person in 1885 to $500 by 1903. When the tax failed to curtail Chinese immigration, the government switched to a policy of exclusion.
The act devastated Chinese communities and cut off many Chinese Canadians from their wives, children, and other relatives in China. Between 1923 and 1947, less than 50 Chinese immigrants entered Canada, and the Chinese population decreased by one-fourth between the censuses of 1921 and 1951.
Plaque unveiled
The exclusion of Chinese immigrants between 1923 and 1947 was designated as a national historic event this year.
On June 23, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, commemorated the national historic significance of the Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants by unveiling a plaque at the Senate Chamber in Ottawa.
