Immigration essay- edit

Immigration

Many people came to Canada from many different countries over the past four centuries. Some of these people came for the cheap farmland and others in search of a better life. Many of these people were discontent when they saw their land, and future homes. Many of these people faced discrimination for their race, and culture. Over the years, though, these immigrants have settled in what they call their home country, happy with the life they have achieved.

The journey to Canada was very costly, and most people spent all their fortune on the trip and supplies for a year or two in their new country. It took over a month in travel, and most of these people did not survive. Poor people were forced to come on "coffin" ships, because they could not afford the cabins on ships. These coffin ships were actually cargo vessels that transported cargo, but came back empty to Canada. Ship owners decided to transport people to Canada, so that they could make a profit out of this. These people travelled in the steerage, where there was poor hygiene, no bathrooms and extremely close bunks which led to the spread of disease. Those who died on ship were dumped overboard into the water. Wealthy people, on the other hand, came in above-deck cabins. They were given proper bathrooms, and the cabins were assorted in a way that they were not close enough to lead to the spread of diseases.

Many Americans, Europeans and Asians were led to Canada in hope of a place where they could improve their living conditions, and many others came in greed of free farmland. Most people, regardless of country, came to get out of the class system, and to own property. Many Ukrainians came to call Canada their new home as Ukraine was going through problems including starvation, over-population and their crops failed to produce a harvest. Some religious beliefs kept Russians from giving service in the army, and if they stayed in Russia they would have to because of which they moved to Canada. These Russians were also in search of free farmland. Americans noticed the rising grain prices because of which they moved to Canada.

Many people that came to Canada were led by free or cheap advertised property. They were told the climate was warm, and the land sold to them would be near towns or markets. They were told that the "climate [in Canada] is the healthiest in the world." It referred to most of the land as the "great fertile plains" yet when immigrants arrived in Canada they realised that the land was not as flat as had been advertised, and it was not warm at all. Also, the land most of them received was not arable. Most of these people could not go back to their homeland, as the travel was too expensive and they had spent all of their money to get to Canada. Before getting any money they needed to harvest their crop and earn money. Many farmers sold all they had back home thinking a better life awaited them in Canada, but when they realised there was nothing worth moving to Canada it was too late, and they had nothing to go back to. Many farmers were allowed admission to Canada at the time, as farmers were needed to fix up the land in the Plains so that it could be harvested for a higher price. Because of so many farmers entering Canada at the time, in 1921 the population was 8.79, almost double the 4.83 million of 1891.

Many people found adjusting to life in the Plains difficult as they had to raise $500 for basic necessities such as tools, a wagon, and livestock. Many immigrants worked for other people on farms, in the lumber industry, on the railway, or the mining industry to raise this money. Their first houses were made of wooden frames covered in mud and were known as "soddies". These were full of flies and fleas, and were not replaced by real houses until about two years after they were built.

Immigrants faced many hardships upon arrival in Canada. The most important of these being that they were unskilled newcomers knowing very little English. They held unsafe, low-paying jobs for which they were given 10-15 dollars a week working 10-12 hours a day, six days a week. Most immigrants lived in unsanitary conditions which led to diseases, and they were unaware of the long cold winters, and natural disasters such as drought and hail. Many immigrants were discriminated for their difference in language, dress sense, religion, and customs.

Many people felt that immigrants should be let into Canada, yet others felt they shouldn't. Business people supported immigration, as they could hire extremely cheap immigrants. People in the mining, forest, and cannery industries supported immigration as it, also, gave them cheap labourers. Yet many people felt immigration from Asian countries should stop as it endangered their jobs. French Canadians didn't want immigrants entering Canada, as they feared it would endanger their culture, and British thought their traditions and values would be negatively altered by immigrants. Most importantly, labour organisations were influenced by this, as their members were deprived of their jobs. One of these organisations was the Asiatic Exclusion League, and it was an anti-Asian group that wanted to limit Asians from entering Canada. When Governor James Dunsmuir refused to sign a bill limiting Japanese into Canada, protestors marched into City Hall, and set Chinatown and Japanese areas of Vancouver on fire. Because of this, the government set a limit of only 400 Japanese immigrants a year entering Canada. In 1905, Frank Oliver became Minister of the Interior, and he decided he didn't want non-White people entering Canada. Because of this, he passed a bill restricting immigrants from China, Japan and India.

Chinese made up the largest group of immigrants, and in 1891 there were approximately 9400 Chinese living in BC. They lived in isolated Chinatowns which were located in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo and New Westminster and held many businesses and cultural organizations. Most Chinese worked in the salmon canneries and coal mines of Vancouver Island for one dollar a day, which was less than half of what was paid to white workers. Many organisations felt hatred towards Chinese immigrants for taking up most jobs that could be otherwise given to their organisations, and one such was the "Knights of Labour". This organisation tried to force Chinese immigrants out of Vancouver through violence. Up until the railway was built there was no restriction on Chinese immigrants coming to Canada, but after the railway was built immigrants needed to pay a $50 fee on entering Canada. There was, also, a restriction stating only one person could be carried for each 50 tonnes on a ship, which meant only about 40 people could come on the same ship at once.

East-Indian immigrants could not be denied entrance into Canada as they were British subjects. To prevent them from entering Canada, the 1906 Immigration Act was put in place. This stated that the immigrants coming to Canada must come on a direct, non-stop route from their country which was felt to be impossible from India. In 1914, a Sikh businessman, Gurdit Singh, tried to challenge this act by chartering the Komagata Maru to bring 354 Sikh immigrants to the dock of Vancouver. The ship left Hong Kong on April 4^th, 1914, made two stops on the way in China and Japan, and arrived in Vancouver May 23^rd. Sikh supporters argued that they felt the 1906 Immigration Act was unreasonable as it was impossible to get to Canada from India without making a stop, yet Canadian authorities made sure no one got off the ship. About 200 police officers tried to board the ship and were attacked by those onboard by sticks and bottles. On July 23^rd, the ship left Vancouver harbour on its way back to India escorted by the Rainbow.

In the past, immigration was very unfair for those leaving Asia. They were discriminated against, because of their race, culture, dress sense and numerous other factors. Not knowing English was a fact that made their stay even more complex. Many of them sold all they had back home for a pleasant life in Canada, yet they didn't get what they had hoped for at their new home. They were treated as inferior to their European neighbours and paid quite a sum less. They were allowed entrance when they were needed for labour, yet restricted entrance into Canada once the job was done. Over the decades, this has changed for the better, and today immigrants from France and those from India are given the same opportunity to enter this country.