The Chinese Immigration Act (Izzy)

The Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 placed a tax on all Chinese immigrants moving to Canada. This law forced them to pay a fifty dollar fee to enter the country. In 1900, the fee was raised to 100 dollars, and in 1903 the fee was raised again to 500 dollars. Later, another law was passed declaring that only one Chinese immigrant could travel to Canada per 50 tons of the ship they were travelling on. That meant that if they were taking a 500 ton ship, only ten Chinese could travel on that ship. This act was also very unjust. It made the Chinese feel unwelcome, when really they are just as welcome as everyone else. This act was also very racist, as everyone except the Chinese could immigrate to the country without paying any money. This act also goes against The Charter of Rights and freedoms. It violates mobility rights, the right to move in, out, and around the country. It also violates equality rights, as the act promoted inequality by placing a tax on only Chinese immigrants. However, we can rest assured that nothing like this would ever happen today, as levels of discrimination have gone down significantly in many countries. We are now also protected from acts like this by The Charter of Rights and Freedoms.