| 2017-6-22 “Today marks the anniversary of the historic Chinese head tax apology by former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Although Canada has had a long-standing reputation as a warm and welcoming nation, this was not always the case. During the 19th century, Canada experienced the British Columbia gold rush and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which brought an influx of Chinese immigrants to Canada’s west coast. With the completion of the railway, the Canadian government imposed a ‘head tax’ on all Chinese entering Canada. In 1923, the Canadian government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which virtually prohibited anyone from China legally entering the country. This ban remained in place until 1947. This truly was one of the darkest chapters in Canadian history. “Eleven years ago today, Prime Minister Stephen Harper addressed the House of Commons to deliver a formal apology for the head tax that was imposed on Chinese immigrants. Prime Minister Harper highlighted: “We have a collective responsibility to build a country base firmly on the notion of equality of opportunity, regardless of one’s race or ethnic origin." “Canada is proud to feature one of the largest Chinese Diasporas in the world, and we are grateful for the outstanding contributions Canadians of Chinese heritage have made to this great country. On behalf of the Official Opposition and our Conservative Caucus, I encourage all Canadians to use this commemoration as an opportunity to recognize those who have given so much to make this country what it is today.” 2017-6-22 今天是前總理史蒂芬・哈珀(Stephen Harper)就當年向華人徵收人頭稅道歉的紀念日。儘管加拿 大以溫暖和熱情久負盛名，但情況並非一向如此。 十一年前的今天，總理史蒂芬・哈珀在下議院就當年向華人移民所徵收的人頭稅正式道歉。總理 哈珀強調：“我們有責任建立一個以平等機會為基礎的國家，無論種族或族裔出身。” |
GMT-5, 2024-4-18 18:56 , Processed in 0.085543 second(s), 16 queries .
