http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/index.html

Quote:

"Charlie Quan, believed to be the last living person who paid the Canadian head tax, holds his original papers from 1923, for which he paid $500 at the time. Ottawa refuses to help with any reparation for the Chinese immigrant."

thoughts?

I just all mine typed out but this peice of **** computer/internet connection gave a error when posting... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

in a nut shell, there is no way he should get, or even EXPECT, to get this money back

thoughts?

 

I don't think he should get his money back either. He agreed to pay the money then, he got what he wanted, which was to come to canada. He should be happy with the oppurtunity that was given to him. Canada gave him an escape from his country, a job and the ability to start a new life and family. $500 was a lot of money back then, but I'm sure the trade-off was worth it. I know the point he is trying to make is a descrimination issue, but things like this even go on today. It's a lot easier to get into any country if you have a carreer or a trade in something, compared to not having one. Is that discrimination? Yes, but it's just a fact of life. A person immigrating to a country with no skills, is more likely to turn to crime or take advantage of the social benefits the country has to offer, then someone who has previously established a career in their country of origin. It's just one of those things that has to happen, and unfortunately some good people are affected.

 

Actually Shawn, allowing immigration based on skills is not discrimination. Disrimination is penalizing one group of people based on race, colour, disability etc etc.

This is a tough one.

I know of CDN families of Japanes decent that were fine upstanding long term residents of Canada that had that assets affectively stolen from them by the CDN government and forceably moved to other parts of the country and that was a mere 60 years ago.

On the one hand you can argue, how long does society have to pay for the sins of the past - an example being the native Indian situation - but on the other hand, time does not unto itself make a gross injustice acceptable.

I say give him back the $500. (no interest)

 

I disagree with your final statement, I believe it should and does in some cases.
I think that it's fair for a society to pay for mistakes made in the past - but only to the individuals effected, not their next, next, next of kin.
What kind of sacrifice did the natives of today have to endure to recieve the benefits of thier forefathers........none - they have the same opportunitys and chances that I have in this world - only more so.

That was the way things worked back then, and it's easy to look into the past and find mistakes - but how are we as a society supposed to move into the future if we're constantly attempting to correct our past.

In conclusion on this matter - he happens to actually be the individual effected here.
So give him back is five hundred, but if he was dead and his grandkids were trying to recieve the money back - no way.

 

I'm not sure of how this Head Tax was setup way back when...

But how is it different then when say, my finacee and I have to pay upwards of a 1,000 dollars for her to get her landed immigrant status?

Or anyone else for that matter applies to get some sort of immgrant status? They have to pay...

While it goes to cover expenses with their 'application', i'm sure its still a money making scam

We certinally arn't expecting to get that money back that for sure!

I don't see why it should be given back to him... He choose to come to this country, KNOWING he had to pay to get in... Now he wants the money back... Yet wants to continue staying in the country? (Note, i'm not saying kick him out, hehe)

I think someone is putting him up to this, I don't think this old man is interested in 500 bux that he willingly gave up all those years ago... Or I would at least like to think that...

 

There is no doubt that Canada and BC's governments were racist towards Asians (ie the head tax, criminalization of opium, Japanese internment during WWII). Fortunately I think we've come a long way since then.

Just like they did for the Japanese in internment camps, I think they should give him back today's equivalent of $500.

 

The differance is Jeff, that the head tax being referred to was a charge ONLY applied to immigrants of Chinese decent. Immigrants from all other countries paid no fee to come in. At the time there had been a lot of Chinese immigration with regard to building the railroads, and coal and gold mining. Chinese immigrants were actively solicited to come to Canada to build the railroad and when that was done they started to "take" jobs from the 'white guys'. Hence the head tax was introduced.

The $1000 fee you are alluding to is basically a fee for service charge to offset the cost of processing and investigating immigration applications and ALL people are required to pay it. Abck in the 1920's there was no "processing" of immigrants or any psrticular costs associated and the tax was a racially motivated penalty.

The head tax of the time was certainly racial discrimination.

Steve: re the Indian issue. Don't misunderstand me, I think CDN society has paid MANY times over for the transgressions of the past in this regard and as far as I'm concerned the books are balanced. I think CDN citizens have paid their due with respect to the native Indian community and that that community has merely squandered the opportunity that has been given to them.

 

Not having skills is a disability. Just ask bunker. Also I don't think he should get any money. Once again the canadian goverment has shown enough weakness in other situations and it doesn't need to cut a cheque to everyone that decides to make a situation public.

 

Immigrants from all other countries paid no fee to come in.
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Oh wow... that yea that seems fair!!

Ok, so maybe he can get his 500 bux back

why is it too much to ask for things to be fair... I don't understand how people in power can cheat and steal and rip so many people off... And they do it every day...

I hope and hope that when the time comes, they get what they deserve

bastards

 

No refunds, there's too many groups of people with there hands out for money. A deal is a deal, period.

 

You couldn't pay me $500 to become a Canadian citizen.

Just joking!!!