Social Inc is hosting a Film Recommendation.
All Mohawk College students can access this film for free through the National Film Board of Canada.
Featured film:
"In the Shadow of Gold Mountain"
"Filmmaker Karen Cho travels from Montreal to Vancouver to uncover stories from the last survivors of the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act, a set of laws imposed to single out the Chinese as unwanted immigrants to Canada from 1885 to 1947. Through a combination of history, poetry and raw emotion, this documentary sheds light on an era that shaped the identity of generations."
Sensitive Content Warning: This film has content that may be sensitive and triggering. Viewer discretion advised.
Watch "In the Shadow of Gold Mountain" here.
Chinese Exclusion Act: 100th Anniversary
In 1885, Canada passed the Chinese Immigration Act which imposed a $50 tax on every Chinese person entering Canada; this was known as the Chinese Head Tax. The Act was amended in 1900 to double the head tax to $100, in addition to charging every Chinese person not only for their entry into Canada, but also for their re-entry. In 1903, the Act was amended again. However, this time, the head tax was increased five times to $500. The government of Canada collected almost $23 million in head taxes, which was close what it cost to build the western section of the Canadian Pacific Railway, largely constructed by Chinese people.
The Chinese Immigration Act (and the Chinese Head Tax) was finally repealed in 1923. However, a new Chinese Immigration Act was passed on July 1, 1923 (also referred to as the Chinese Exclusion Act); this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act. This is the only time in Canada’s history that one group was legislatively barred from entering based solely on their country of origin.
With marginal exceptions, this new Act prohibited Chinese people from entering Canada. During this time, fewer than 50 new Chinese immigrants were permitted to enter Canada. Thousands of Chinese men who were already living in Canada were separated from their families for decades, or never to be reunited. This Act also targeted Canadian-born Chinese people.
For more information, please visit the following:
1923 Chinese Exclusion Act - Exhibition and Archive: https://1923-chinese-exclusion.ca/
Road to Justice - The Legal Struggle for Equal Rights of Chinese Canadians: http://www.roadtojustice.ca/laws/chinese-head-tax