The Chinese in Canada =: Chia-na-ta ti Hua jen jü Hua jen she hui

This succinct sociological analysis of the Chinese in Canada, from their arrival in 1858 to the present, focuses on the development of institutional racism against the Chinese and its impact on the Chinese community. The first section examines the history of Chinese immigration to Canada: Why they came, how they were treated, and why a policy of racial exclusion was formulated against them: the major argument here is that institutional racism was a structural imperative that had little to do with cultural misunderstanding or individual idiosyncrasies. The second section deals with the impact of racism on the Chinese community, including the restriction of economic opportunities, the emergence of ethnic business, the disruption of conjugal life, and the delay of a second generation. The last section considers the occupational achievements of Chinese-Canadians in the period of industrial expansion in the 1960s and after; it focuses on the degree to which they have realized the Canadian dream of upward mobility and the kind of obstacles they have encountered in moving away from traditional service jobs into the professional sector. PETER S. LI is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Social Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan. He is the author of Social Research Methods (1981), Racial Minorities in Multicultural Canada (With B. Singh Bolaria, 1983), and Racial Oppression in Canada (1985). Front Cover Half Title Page Full Title Page CANADIAN CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA Acknowledgements Contents Preface Introduction Sociological themes of racial inequality I THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM 1 Chinese Emigration Conditions in China Mechanisms of Chinese immigration The social background of Chinese emigrants TABLE 1.1 STATED OCCUPATION OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF CHINESE ENTERING CANADA, 1885-1903 The mobility dream and sojourner orientation 2 Racism Against the Chinese Chinese labour and the opening of the west Anti-orientalism and legislative control The meaning of institutional racism TABLE 2.1 TOTAL REVENUE FROM HEAD TAX AND REGISTRATIONS FOR LEAVE OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS, 1886-1943 II THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN THE EXCLUSION ERA 3 Occupations and Ethnic Business Chinese labourers in a split labour market TABLE 3.1 WAGES OF CHINESE AND WHITE LABOUR BY SELECTED OCCUPATIONS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, AROUND 1900 Occupational patterns under exclusion TABLE 3.2 OCCUPATIONS OF CHINESE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (1885), VICTORIA (1901), AND CANADA (1921, 1931) TABLE 3.3 DISTRIBUTION OF CHINESE POPULATION IN CANADA, 1881-1941 The social organization of Chinese businesses 4 Marriage and the Family The traditional Chinese family: myth and reality Historical patterns of the Chinese-Canadian family TABLE 4.1 AGE AND SEX OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED ANNUALLY TO CANADA, 1907-24 TABLE 4.2 SEX RATIO AND NATIVITY OF CHINESE IN CANADA, 1881-1981 Married life in separation TABLE 4.3 MARITAL STATUS BY SEX, FOR CHINESE IN CANADA15 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER, 1941-71 TABLE 4.4 ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF FAMILY TYPES AMONG CHINESE IN CANADA, 1941-71 The delay of a second generation The family and labour reproduction 5 Community Organizations and Social Life The emergence of Chinese social organizations The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association The proliferation of Chinese organizations and their politics Social life and vice activities in Chinatowns III THE EMERGENCE OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY AFTER THE WAR 6 Chinese Immigration to Canada The enfranchisement of the Chinese Changes in Canadian immigration policy Characteristics of post-war Chinese immigrants TABLE 6.1 CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED TO CANADA, 1949-55 TABLE 6.2 AGE COMPOSITION OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED TO CANADA, 1956-84 TABLE 6.3 SEX RATIO (MALES PER 100 FEMALES) OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED TO CANADA, 1956-84 TABLE 6.4 INTENDED OCCUPATION OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS DESTINED TO THE CANADIAN LABOUR FORCE, 1954-84 7 Contemporary Chinese-Canadians Social and demographic characteristics TABLE 7.1 DISTRIBUTION OF CHINESE-CANADIANS BY PROVINCES, 1981 TABLE 7.2 PERIOD OF IMMIGRATION TO CANADA FOR CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1971, 1981 TABLE 7.3 AGE COMPOSITION OF FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE-BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1971, 1981 Linguistic characteristics TABLE 7.4 MOTHER TONGUE AND LANGUAGE MOST OFTEN SPOKEN AT HOME, FOR CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1981 TABLE 7.5 OFFICIAL BILINGUALISM AMONG FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE-BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1981 The contemporary Chinese-Canadian family TABLE 7.6 TYPES OF HOUSEHOLD FOR CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS, 1981 Changing characteristics of the Chinese-Canadian community 8 Social Mobility and Inequality Social mobility TABLE 8.1 OCCUPATIONS OF CHINESE IN THE EMPLOYED LABOUR FORCE OF CANADA, 15 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER, 1971, 1981 TABLE 8.2 LEVEL OF SCHOOLING FOR FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS, 15 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER, 1981 TABLE 8.3 OCCUPAT IONS OF FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE-BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS, 1981 Structural forces of social mobility The cost of being Chinese in the Canadian labour market TABLE 8.4 GROSS AND NET EFFECTS OF ETHNIC ORIGIN ON ANNUAL EARNINGS TABLE 8.5 DISTRIBUTION OF CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS IN PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATIONS, 1981 The future of the Chinese in Canada 9 Race and Culture Myth and reality of race Limitations of the transplanted cultural thesis The assimilationist bias and the multicultural myth Concluding remarks Notes Introduction 1: Chinese Emigration 2: Racism Against The Chinese 3: Occupations and Ethnic Business 4: Marriage and the Family 5: Community Organizations and Social Life 6: Chinese Immigration to Canada 7: Contemporary Chinese-Canadians 8: Social Mobility and Inequality 9: Race and Culture References Public documents CANADA U.S. Books and Articles Author Index Subject Index Back Cover This history of Chinese immigration to Canada includes an examination of the impact of racism on the Chinese community and the occupational achievements of Chinese-Canadians in the 1960s and after