The act was “really designed to limit the possibilities of Chinese migrants settling permanently in the country and, related to that, establishing families and therefore generations of descendants,” said historian Laura Madokoro, an associate professor of history at Carleton University.As Canadians celebrate on July 1, many are also reflecting on the legacy of that law, which lives on in families, communities and policy.
The Canadian government largely believed Chinese immigrants to be bachelors, said Madokoro, but many like Jun had families in China. It shouldn’t have taken that long–the Chinese diaspora in China had challenged the immigration ban and won. But the Communist revolution robbed many families of the ability to reunite after the Chinese Immigration Act was no longer in effect, Madokoro said.
Yan didn’t have a birth certificate, so he was interrogated in a Canadian immigration office to prove he was his father’s son before he was allowed to immigrate.