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re:下面贴的是社会学的两份作业。第一份要自己...
下面贴的是社会学的两份作业。第一份要自己查找资料来写,石头花了很多时间才完成。第二份是要自己编写两个和移民相关的故事。
The “Head” Tax Regarding Chinese Immigration
The “Head” Tax Regarding Chinese Immigration was a typical event of racial discrimination and very bad for Canada’s reputation. Fortunately, this event has a quite good result. The federal government had issued an official apology and redress for victims in the “Head” Tax event. This action regained Canada’s reputation as a multicultural society.
The immigration of Chinese to Canada began in 1858, following the discovery of gold in British Columbia. In 1881, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was started to construct. Due to shortage and high cost of workers in Western Canada, Chinese were brought in from China to help build the railway. Between 1881 and 1885, over 15,000 of these Chinese pioneers became involved in this national project. It is one of the most important nation-building projects in Canadian history (http://www.ccnc.ca/redress/history.html).
As soon as the CPR was completed, the local Canadian did not welcome Chinese anymore and the Chinese quickly became the victim of racial discrimination. In order to restrict Chinese immigrants, the federal government imposed a “Head” Tax of $50 upon almost every Chinese entering Canada in 1885. The “Head” Tax was increased to $100 in 1900, then to $500 in 1903. $500 was equivalent to a Chinese labor’s two years wages at that time. Meanwhile, Canada refused Chinese Canadians to be Canadian Citizenship. Between 1886 and 1924, the Federal Government collected a total of $23 million through the paying of “Head” Tax by Chinese. No other group was treated in that way. Despise the head tax, Chinese immigrants continued to come to Canada. In 1923, the Canadian Parliament passed the Chinese Immigration Act of Exclusion that banned almost every Chinese immigrant until 1947 (http://www.ccnc.ca/redress/history.html).
Because of the “Head” Tax and Exclusion Act, Chinese immigrants faced more racial discrimination than other ethnic groups in their social, economic and political lives. Chinese did not have many basic rights which White People had in Canada. The worst consequence of the “Head” Tax and the Exclusion Act, however, was found in the development of Chinese Canadian family. Because of the Exclusion Act, early Chinese pioneers were not allowed to bring their family, including their wives and children, to Canada, and Chinese Canadians had little opportunity to return China. This caused a long period of separation of families. While many Chinese men were struggling abroad, their wives in China had to take care of their children by themselves. They experienced starvation and other bad economic conditions. The separation also caused other problems to Chinese Canadians. As a Chinese Canadian said, “I arrived in Canada in 1951 when I was 12 years old, and my father and I never really bonded.” (Charlie Smith, October 12, 2006, Head-tax Redress Fails to Account for Total Toll). Chinese Canadian community also became the most severely unbalanced ratio among all ethnic groups in Canada and this community almost became a ‘bachelor society’. The “Head” Tax is one of the worst reputations on immigrant policy in Canadian history (Gerald Hallowell, The Oxford Companion to Canadian History, p128-129).
Chinese Canadian established many voluntary associations in order to get compensation from the government. One of the most famous voluntary associations is the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC). Since 1984, CCNC has been seeking redress on behalf of the living “Head” Tax payers and their families who are victims in the “Head” Tax and Exclusion Act. The Canadian Government refused to apologize and redress to the “Head” Tax payers for the over 63 years of anti-Chinese immigrants policy. Until June 22, 2006, Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued an official apology for the victims in the “Head” Tax. Following the apology of the Prime Minister, the Government announced that each of living “Head” Tax payers and people in a married relationship with a deceased “Head” Tax payer could get a payment of $20,000.
(http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/multi/redress-redressement/index_e.cfm; http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&q=Canadian+government+redress+Chinese+head+tax+&btnG=Search)
Although the “Head” Tax was an ugly event in the history of Canada, fortunately, it has a good solution. After the redress was implemented, the living “Head” Tax payers and their families who were victims in the “Head” Tax would get comfort. The redress will also help to confirm Chinese rightful place in Canada and equal status as Canadian. For Canada, it will reinforce its international reputation as a multicultural nation (http://www.ccnc.ca/redress/history.html).
Bibliography:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&q=Canadian+government+redress+Chinese+head+tax+&btnG=Search
http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/multi/redress-redressement/index_e.cfm
http://www.ccnc.ca/redress/history.html
(Gerald Hallowell, The Oxford Companion to Canadian History, p128-129)
Case 1:
Jack Zhang is a 30 years old Chinese citizen who wants to migrate to Canada. He works in a Canadian company in Hong Kong and has 3 years experiences to the international market. He is also a high educated person. He got a master degree of marketing from the University of Hong Kong. He studies and works very hard. Because of his excellent skill and high performance, he got the permission to work in headquarter of his company in Canada. He can speak Mandarin, Cantonese and English. He desires to move to Canada because he wants to have a better life and higher paying job. He thinks Canada is a good nation for him. He has a brother there. His brother is one of his best relatives.
After he comes to Canada, he will gain more opportunity to get into the administrative team of the company and have a better living standard.
Case 2:
Linda Ng, a 22 years old girl who was born and grown up in Macao. Her family is in bad situation. Her dad died a few years ago. She had to give up college because her family didn’t have enough money to support her. She is the oldest kid in the family and her dad hoped that she would make money soon to support other kids’ studies.
Her mom is running a Chinese restaurant in Vancouver desired to join her mom and works in her restaurant. She speaks Cantonese and a little bit English. She works hard in school and always helps other classmates who are in difficulty in lessons. She wants to continue college very much, but she had to make enough money for her and her brother and sister. A Chinese restaurant in Vancouver could earn lots of money because there are a lot of Chinese people there. She hopes to migrate there so that she can forget the tragedy of her father’s death in Macao and earn enough money for her and her family’s lives as quickly as possible. There she can start anew with her life.
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