This news was sure interesting and creating some controversy. Here in Canada a plan is currently being rolled out to compensate Chinese people who immigrated into Canada from 1885 to 1923. During those years, a head tax was imposed on all Chinese immigrants who wished to enter into Canada. The first fee structure was $50 per head and in 1903 that fee rose to $500. To get a sense of how much that was back then, $500 was apparently equivalent to about 2 years worth of wage for a Chinese laborer.

Of course, this is creating some controversy as since this tax was paid in a voluntarily manner, many are saying that it was a choice whether or not to enter into the country and that the head tax was simply a rule and regulation that one must agree to upon entering Canada. The flip side of course is that it was a very discriminating thing to do and so it is being recognized and dealt with now. I’ll probably be hearing more about this as time goes on, but for those who qualify you can get all of the details from the Department of Canadian Heritage site at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca or you can phone the help line at 1-888-776-8584.

For blog updates subscribe to our RSS feed.