Canada announces four community-based commemorative and educational projects to honor and celebrate Chinese-Canadians

Canada’s federal government has announced to launch four new community-based commemorative and educational projects to reach out to youths and the Chinese community, to raise awareness of the Chinese Head Tax and other measures that restricted Chinese immigration between 1885 and 1947, to honour the work of those who challenged discrimination and sought redress, and to celebrate the contributions of the Chinese-Canadian community that helped to build a strong and diverse Canada.

Funded under the Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP), these projects will be delivered by the Simon Fraser University (SFU), the University of British Columbia, the Metro Toronto Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, and the Toronto Community and Culture Centre.

Simon Fraser University will receive $200,000 for a one-year project to create a comprehensive and interactive education program for BC high school students. The program will examine the impact of the Head Tax imposed on Chinese immigrants and highlight the contributions of the Chinese-Canadian community to building Canada. SFU will distribute 100 educational DVD packages to 95 public secondary schools and 5 private schools in the Vancouver Lower Mainland. Another component of the program will be to air the video documentary on Fairchild TV, where it can be viewed by the Chinese-Canadian community and the general public.

The University of British Columbia will receive $50,000 to fund research and community workshops examining the Chinese Head Tax. "Remembering the Chinese Head Tax" is an educational project that will be undertaken in partnership with the Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC). The aim of the project is to engage Chinese-Canadian students with members of their community, particularly elders, to conduct oral history research and create and preserve the history and experiences of Chinese-Canadians between 1885 and 1947 under the Chinese Head Tax and the Chinese Immigration Act. This project will run for three years.

The Metro Toronto Chinese & Southeast Asian Legal Clinic will receive $50,000 for a one-year project to create a web-based educational program. The program, to be produced in English and Chinese, will concern the use of legislation in discriminating against Chinese immigrants in Canada, measures that included the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Immigration Act. It will also recognize the historical contributions made by members of the legal profession who challenged the discriminatory laws. The website will reach a wide segment of Chinese-Canadian newcomers. At the same time, it will be made available for use as a teaching tool in law schools and other learning institutions across Canada.

The Toronto Community and Culture Centre will receive $50,000 for a one-year project aimed at increasing the understanding of Chinese-Canadian youth, particularly from the Mandarin community in the Greater Toronto Area, about the Chinese Head Tax and how this measure affected Chinese immigrants and the Chinese-Canadian community. The project is designed to engage youth in a dialogue about the lives of the early Chinese-Canadians in Canada, the Pacific Railroad history, and the use of legislation in the discrimination of Chinese immigrants in Canada, including the Chinese Head Tax and Chinese Immigration Act. The goal of this project is to broaden understanding and awareness of the Chinese Head Tax and of the contributions made by Chinese immigrants to the building of Canada, and to increase ethnic harmony, especially among Chinese-Canadian youth.

The CHRP was announced in June 2006 as part of the Government of Canada’s comprehensive historical recognition program. This program funds community-based commemorative and educational projects that recognize the experiences of communities affected by historical wartime measures and/or immigration restrictions applied in Canada; and that promote the contributions of these communities to building this country. Eligible projects can include monuments, commemorative plaques, educational material and exhibits.