The British and Chinese signed the Treaty of Nanking in 1942, each providing their respective subjects with the right to benefit from full security and protection for their persons and property within each others boundaries. Even though China did not openly allow emigration, in 1860 a law was passed which stated that Chinese, seeking to work in the British Colonies or other places, were at liberty to do so. They had only to ship themselves and their families on board any British vessel at any of the open ports in China. In 1868, another treaty, this one with the United States, gave the Chinese the right to change their home and loyalty from one country to another for the purposes of curiosity, of trade, or as permanent residents, thereby opening the gates for emigration from China.
The gold boom in the British Columbia in the 1850s was the beginning of Chinese immigration from the U.S. into Canada. Many of these early immigrants sailed from Fujian and Guangdong provinces to San Francisco. When they heard of the gold discoveries in British Columbia, many crossed the border into Canada by moving overland through Oregon or arriving by sea in Victoria. When the gold deposits were depleted, these early settlers stayed, moving into occupations like gardening, farming, domestic service, road construction, and railway building. By 1871, there were approximately 3,000 Chinese inhabitants in the province, only 53 of whom being women.
Since Chinese workers were known to be conscientious and reliable, several companies actively recruited them. As a result, it was estimated that 10,000 workers arrived between 1882 and 1884. In an effort to restrict the entry of Chinese immigrants, an act was passed in the Canadian Parliament confining the proportion to one person for every 50 tons of vessel tonnage. A head tax was also imposed. Records of those who paid the head tax are still available for viewing in the National Archives of Canada.
【10篇文章帮你搞定4级词汇(5)Yip Sang a Chinese Canadian】相关文章:
最新
2019-11-23
2019-11-23
2019-11-23
2019-11-23
2019-11-14
2019-11-14