Chinese Head Tax

Title

Chinese Head Tax

Subject

Canada, law, history, Chinese Head Tax, xenophobia

Description

This collection contains images and other resources related to Canada's Chinese head tax.

Creator

Raoof Zamanifar
Ed. Dr. Theresa E. Miedema

Collection Items

""Free Labour in the United States" (Cartoon from Canadian Illustrated News, 1870)

The is a cartoon that was published in the Canadian Illustrated News in 1870. This cartoon depicts a Chinese man stealing the boot of a white man.  The Chinese man is being beaten by Uncle Sam and two other white men. This provides a concrete…
"The Heathen Chinese in British Colombia." Cartoon, Canadian Illustrated News, 1879

This cartoon depicts Amor de Cosmos forcing a Chinese immigrant to leave British Columbia because he refuses to assimilate.

According to Library and Archives Canada, the caption of this cartoon read:
- A.D.C: “You can’t or won’t…
Head tax certificate for Chong Do Dang.

This document is a head tax certificate issued to Chong Do Dang, age 10. Once a Chinese migrant paid the required head tax, the individual would be issued a certificate like this one.
Chinese Migrant Database search result: Chong Do Dang

This screenshot captures the search results from the Chinese Migrant Database operated by Library and Archives Canada for Chong Do Dang, a ten year old boy. The records show that Chong Do Dang was registered on Feb. 11, 1922.
Chinese at work on C.P.R. (Canadian Pacific Railway) in Mountains, 1884

This photograph depicts Chinese labourers working on the Canadian Pacific Railway mile sections of the Canadian Pacific Railway from the Pacific to Craigellachie in the Eagle Pass in British Columbia.
Report of the Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration. Report and Evidence, 1885.

This image shows the first page of the Report of the Royal Commission on Chinese Immigration. Report and Evidence, 1885. The recommendations of this report ultimately led to the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885, which imposed a head tax upon Chinese…
Chinese Immigration Act of 1885

This is an excerpt of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 clearly displaying its intention to restrict Chinese immigration into Canada. The Chinese Immigration Act created the Chinese head tax, which required Chinese migrants to pay a tax to enter…

This video shows the premier of British Columbia offering a formal apology to Chinese Canadians for acts of discrimination and racism in the past.

This video features Prime Minister Harper's apology for the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act in Canadian Parliament

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