It’s a historic day in Canada today, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes for the racist head tax.

Many of our ancestors would have paid the head tax, levied only against ethnic Chinese when they immigrated to Canada between 1885 to 1923.  In 1923, The Chinese Exclusion Act lasted until 1947.

Tomorrow the Government of Canada will apologize for the racist head tax.

The BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants is asking for One Certificate, One payment.  This is fair as many sons and daughters, as well as grandchildren all suffered the  economic, cultural and social challenges created by both head tax and Chinese Exclusion Act from 1885 to 1947, and beyond.

My great-great-grandfather Rev. Chan Yu Tan arrived in Canada in 1896, but was possibly exempt as a missionary.  This exemption would not have applied for his children, nor the many family members that came later, nor the people that our ancestors married, such as my great-grandmother Kate (Chan) Lee’s husband Ernest Lee. My father’s father Wong Wah arrived in 1886
and would have also had to pay for my grandmother Wong Chan Sze.