2] In this lesson I say that it should be clear that the discourse on nationalism is also about ethnicity and ideologies of “race.” If you trace the historical overview of nationalism in Canada in the CanLit guide, you will find many examples of state legislation and policies that excluded and discriminated against certain peoples based on ideas about racial inferiority and capacities to assimilate. – and in turn, state legislation and policies that worked to try to rectify early policies of exclusion and racial discrimination. As the guide points out, the nation is an imagined community, whereas the state is a “governed group of people.” For this blog assignment, I would like you to research and summarize one of the state or governing activities, such as The Royal Proclamation 1763, the Indian Act 1876, Immigration Act 1910, or the Multiculturalism Act 1989 – you choose the legislation or policy or commission you find most interesting. Write a blog about your findings and in your conclusion comment on whether or not your findings support Coleman’s argument about the project of white civility.
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For this blog assignment I have chosen to focus on the immigration act of 1910. It is however difficult to discuss this act without first mentioning the immigration act of 1906. The immigration act of 1906 was the precursor to the more severe act implemented in 1910. The 1906 act defined “an immigrant” and although there has been laws in place since 1869 which had placed certain regulations on immigration, the act of 1906 banned the immigration of individuals who were deemed unwanted by the government. Not only did the immigration act of 1906 place strict immigration guidelines but it also gave the government the right to deport immigrants and to place a required amount of “landing money” that all immigrants were required to have.
The immigration Act of 1910 is seen as the second event to place restrictive laws on immigration. The act of 1910 furthered the restrictions on the 1906 Act by stating that the government had the right to prevent the immigration of all “immigrants belonging to any race deemed unsuited to the climate or requirements of Canada.” (Government of Canada) The Act of 1910 also gave the government more power to deport any individuals based on any uncertainty of their morals of political views. Some of the numbers relating to the deportation of immigrants are insane, and based on ridiculous grounds such as illness and that they might potentially become criminals. The government also introduced an “in-order council” which required all immigrants of Asiatic descent to have $200 in cash when entering Canada. This head tax was an incredible sum as in general the average worker in Canada made only slightly over $400 annually. The “in-order council” also controlled the $25 fee that was applicable to all other immigrants, this requirement created much protest in Great Britain because immigrants would now have to have an addition $25 to the money that would be needed for their passage to reach Canada.
Once an immigrant had reached Canada, the act of 1910 decreed that they were on a three year probationary period which meant that until permanent residency was granted, the immigrant could be deported at any time that they became classified as undesirable
It is startling to note that this act had very little debate. The only discussion that it inspired was in relation to the governments failure to increase the population of the maritime provinces.
I feel that the Immigration Act of 1910 fit perfectly with Coleman’s argument about the project of white civility. Like the project of white civility the Immigration Act of 1910 was an attempt to create country based on an image set forth by a close minded individual who felt that he knew what was best for an entire nation. The Canada that I know now is such an open and welcoming country that it surprised me that we have had such a judgemental past filled with racism and bias. I hope that this country keeps striving for equality and never forgets the horrors of our past.
Works Cited
Canada. Government of Canada. Publications and Manuals. Forging Our Legacy: Canadian Citizenship and Immigration 1900-1977. Online. 2006.07.01.
“Immigration Act, 1910″. Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21. Canada. Government of Canada. 1910. Web. 26 Feb. 2015.
Hi Jennifer,
Caitlin Funk and I have teamed up to be in a group and after a couple of conversations and reading of your blogs, we thought you would be an awesome match for our group. Would you like to work with us for our final project? We’d love to have you!
Let us know,
Laura
Hi Laura,
I’d love to be a part of your group, I have also read through many of your blog posts and I also feel that we would be a great team!
Thank you for asking!
– Jennifer
Hi Jennifer,
I too wrote on the Immigration Act of 1910 and was reassured to see that you too were astonished to find that Canada came from such a prejudice place in history given the reputation and culture we live in now. I noted how as a child I never knew the difference between people or races, I had to be taught that people were different and that we put significance in that difference. The Immigration Act labelled anyone that wasn’t ‘white’ as different, and it set the standards and regulations for what ‘good enough for Canada’ was. In one light I am happy to see how far we have come but in another I am disappointed to look back and see where we came from. I too hope we keep striving for equality. Thanks for your post 🙂
Sarah C.
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your comment. I think what I found most surprising was that while Canada promotes itself as a multicultural country, there is very little taught about our unjust past. Perhaps this is because in the grand scheme of things although the Immigration act of 1910 was harsh and unjust there was no genocide, or deaths. In school we learn of all the so called “true tragedies” of our worlds past and it seems absurd that the act of 1910 is not a part of that. Especially as a Canadian I believe that it should not be an option to properly understand our countries past in order to better understand why we must continue to strive to justice and equality.
Thank you,
– Jennifer
Hey Jennifer!
Great blog post! You completely shocked me with the Immigration Act of 1910… I had no idea it was so terrible!!
I too can’t believe Canada was once so blatantly prejudice ! Did your findings demonstrate any long term effects from this? Do you think that any of the cultural biases we have today stem from this act or were merely perpetuated further?
thanks for a great blog post!
Hello, Jennifer!
We covered the same Act, but I focused my attention on a later amendment to it. It was quite interesting to go over your blog on the same subject as you brought up something I had not really considered, debate about the Act itself.
In my blog I didn’t touch on whether it was controversial or not, but it seems as though it was not.
Why do you think there was no public outcry regarding the Immigration Act of 1910? Were the people of Canada uninformed about the nature of the Act, or did they simply not care?
Thanks again for the interesting read! 🙂
– Christie