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Immigration in Canada
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Canada Passes First Immigration Law
It does not have any specifications of who can immigrate. - I chose this as significant because it is the beginning of government regulated immigration. -
Chinese Head Tax Instated
The headtax is $50, which is now equivalent to $1258.17 This is an early example of state sponsored racism, and it's context in the timeline can better illustrate the evolution of Canada's immigration policy -
New Immigration Act
The act prohibits disabled people from immigrating to Candad. It also allows the government to deport immigrants. This is another example of government sponsored prejudice. -
New Immigration Act in Response to World War 1
At the end of World War 1 Canada's government fears a morale drop if they let foreigners into the country. The new immigration act allows them to differentiate between immigrants by their race and culture.It also allows them to exclude immigrants whose beliefs are considered undesirable by the government. Essentially they are exluding immigrants from countries that opposed Canada in the war. This is both an important example of institutionalized prejudice and of how public opinion can sway poli -
The Great Depression
Canada's government passes a law forbidding immigration to anyone that does not have enough money to establish themselves as a farm. This is an example of how Canada's immigration policy can be adaptable to changing economic circumstances. -
Immigration Policies Loosened in Response to World War 2
Prime Minister MacKenzie King loosens immigration laws in response to the huge number of refugees created by World War 2. This is one of the first dramatic steps forward in eliminating prejudice and racism from immigration policies. It also addresses Canada's responsiveness to people in need. -
Canadian Citizenship Established
Before this point, Canadians were considered British citizens. This is another point I included for the sake of breaking new ground.It symbolically seperates Canada's ties with the UK further. -
Racism Eliminated from Immigration
Immigration no longer takes into account race, culture, or ethnic background. This shows the dramatic shift in policy that Canadian immigration has undergone. -
The "Points" System is Created
The points system ranks potential immigrants on a series of categories, including health, education and economic status. I believe this and the policy change from 1962 to be the fundamental first steps in establishing the immigration system as we know it today. -
New Immigration Act
Passed untire Prime Minister Trudeau, it instills the framework for modern immigration policy. This is the first time the restraints on handicapped immigrants are removed. This is another very important step in establishing a modern unbaised system of immigration. The change takes a more concrete, outlined form.