Immigration Flashcards
Between 1905 and 1914, how many East Indians immigrated to Canada?
Just under 5,300 East Indians entered the country.
What percentage of the British Columbia population did they comprise?
They comprised less than half of one percent of the provincial population.
Why did East Indians want to come to Canada?
Strong imperatives toward male emigration were rooted in Punjab, due to the regions suffering intense, and growing population pressures during the late nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. They would come to Canada and send money back home.
What jobs did these men take on?
They sought work as common labourers by working in sawmills, lumber camps, and on railway construction gangs, while land clearing and seasonal farm work engaged others.
What did East Indians form soon after they arrived in 1907?
The East Indians began to found their own religious, social, and political organizations. The very first among them was the Khalsa Diwan Society, formed in Vancouver in 1907 to meet the Sikhs’ religious, educational, and philanthropic needs.
What was W.D. Scott’s (superintendent of immigration), and Mackenzie King’s opinion of East Indians settling in Canada?
They believe they lived in tropical places, and would not be able to survive the cold. He concluded in 1907 that then, some Punjabis have been frequently lured to British Columbia by glowing propaganda from steamship lines, ticket agents, and fellow-countrymen who sought to exploit them.
What was an Oriental stereotype applied to the East Indians?
Unclean, Diseased, and a threat to public health. “The country which they come..has long been recognized as a hotbed of the most virulent and loathsome diseases such as Bubonic plague, Smallpox, Asiastic Cholera, and the worst forms of Venereal diseases”
Why did white working men and trade unions fear East Indians?
East Asians were willing to work for less, so minimum wages would drop, so business owners would prefer immigrants over white working men.
Describe R. G. Macpherson’s (Liberal Member of Parliament) view on Asian immigration using evidence from his statement. What is the value and limitation of his speech?
He mentioned Indians would not adopt the same cultural practices as Americans, and Asians. Europe had a superiority complex at that time.
What was Laurier’s (Prime Minister) solution to Indian immigration?
Immigration Act was amended to curtail the migration of British Indians.
What was J.B. Harkin’s plan to appease British Columbians?
He suggested that East Indians could go to the West Indies or Honduras, so that there would not be a lot of them in British Columbia.
According to historians, what are three reasons Gurdit Singh brought Indians to British Columbia? In your opinion, why did Mr. Singh bring Indians into Canada? (pg 88).
To challenge/test discrimination the British
Interested in India gaining Independence in the event that the ship was turned away
Financial Gain
