Lee Shing Dok, Chinese Head Tax Certificate (1913)
Dublin Core
Title
Lee Shing Dok, Chinese Head Tax Certificate (1913)
Subject
Chinese Immigration
Head Tax
Immigration
Federal Chinese immigration records
Chinese Immigration Act
Chinese Exclusion Act
Head Tax
Immigration
Federal Chinese immigration records
Chinese Immigration Act
Chinese Exclusion Act
Description
Coloured Copy of an official Chinese Head Tax certificate, consisting of an image of Lee Shing Dok and a written declaration of the payment of the Chinese Head Tax.
These certificates were issued to immigrants on entry to Canada. The Chinese Head Tax was a discriminatory legislation imposed by federal government in an attempt to restrict and regulate Chinese immigration to Canada by establishing a tax. The Head Tax derived following the passing of the Chinese Immigration Act also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act conceded in 1884 and increased from an original sum of $50 to $500 in 1904. The Chinese Head Tax signifies the extent of anti-Chinese sentiment particularly evident following the completion of the American Pacific Railway due to fears over unemployment and attributed to the separation of families and the creation of a ‘Batchelor society’ as a consequence of the discriminatory legislation.
These certificates were issued to immigrants on entry to Canada. The Chinese Head Tax was a discriminatory legislation imposed by federal government in an attempt to restrict and regulate Chinese immigration to Canada by establishing a tax. The Head Tax derived following the passing of the Chinese Immigration Act also known as the Chinese Exclusion Act conceded in 1884 and increased from an original sum of $50 to $500 in 1904. The Chinese Head Tax signifies the extent of anti-Chinese sentiment particularly evident following the completion of the American Pacific Railway due to fears over unemployment and attributed to the separation of families and the creation of a ‘Batchelor society’ as a consequence of the discriminatory legislation.
Creator
Canadian Government, Federal Chinese immigration authorities
Publisher
The Canadian Encyclopedia, Chinese Head Tax in Canada
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-head-tax-in-canada/
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-head-tax-in-canada/
Date
23 April 1913
Contributor
Salma Latifi
Rights
Library and Archive of Canada, R1206-178-X-E
Language
English
Type
Textual - official document with photograph
Identifier
20th century British Columbia
Files
Collection
Citation
Canadian Government, Federal Chinese immigration authorities, “Lee Shing Dok, Chinese Head Tax Certificate (1913),” The American Pacific Rim: Colonisation, Conflict and Connections, 1800-Present, accessed May 4, 2024, https://theamericanpacificrim.omeka.net/items/show/162.