YOUR PERSPECTIVE: Canada Day is also Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial Day

Between 1881 and 1884, more than 17,000 Chinese railroad workers came by ship from California and China to build the Canadian Pacific Railway. During construction, Chinese railroad workers were given the most difficult, dangerous tasks. It is estimated that three Chinese workers died for every mile of track laid. While white workers were paid $1.50 to $2.50 per day with their provisions provided, Chinese workers were paid only $1 a day and had to pay for their own gear and food.

The mistreatment of Chinese Canadians continued throughout the turn of the century. On July 1, 1923, pressured by the B.C. government, the federal government enacted the Chinese Immigration Act (often referred to as the Chinese exclusion act), which barred nearly all people of Chinese descent from entering the country. The act was in place for 24 years. It left many people separated from their families; some were never reunited. In 2006, the Government of Canada apologized for the injustices caused by the act.

This piece of Canadian and B.C. history cannot be forgotten. That’s why today, as we mark Canada Day, we also remember the sacrifices of the many Chinese Canadians who were hurt by this racist piece of legislation and the long-lasting impacts the Chinese Immigration Act has on the Chinese Canadian community.

While we have come a long way in 100 years, racism and anti-Asian hate still exists in B.C. We all have a role to play in addressing racism, and it starts by learning about the history of the province and the injustices many racialized communities and Indigenous Peoples faced and continue to experience today.