The Immigration Act of 1910, I argue, gave power to the people who followed Coleman’s notion of “white civility” as it further enhanced the discretionary powers of the government to control the incoming immigrants into Canada, as it reinforced and expanded the exclusionary provisions outlined in the Immigration Act of 1906. Why I argue that, the Immigration Act of 1910, follows Coleman’s notion of “white civility” is because of the cruelty and unjust power that the government had over immigrants. In the Immigration Act of 1910, a new provision specified that the governor-in-council could arbitrarily prohibit the landing of any immigrant deemed “unsuited to the climate or requirements of Canada.” This discrimination was unjust, and gave power, to people who had no reason to have it. To exclude people, who weren’t perceived to handle the cold climate, is absurd and ignorant, as to reject people who couldn’t possibly conform to a “Canadian” expectation, follows Coleman’s notion of “white civility.”
The act also introduced the concept of domicile, or permanent residency, which an immigrant could obtain after residing in Canada for three years. Until domicile was granted, an immigrant could be deported if they became classified as “undesirable.” Under the new act, political dissidents advocating for the forceful overthrow of government and those attempting to create public disorder were also subject to deportation. This notion of superiority gives way to Coleman’s white civility as to deport people who didn’t follow the notion of “white civility” were deported, as cruelty was ensued if the person, didn’t embrace “Canadian” values or wasn’t the “ideal” Canadian. Coleman’s notion of “white civility” is supported in the Immigration Act of 1910, as immigrants could be rejected citizenship if they were undesirable to the notion of “white civility” or couldn’t embrace “white civility”, in the eyes of people who did embrace “white civility.”
Works Cited
Sugars, Cynthia. Civility at the Gates. canlit.ca. Canadian Literature, 8 Dec. 2011. Web. 26 June 2015.
“CMIP 21 Pier 21.” CMIP 21 Pier 21. Web. 26 June 2015.