2023 marked a sad milestone: 100 years since the passing of the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act in Canada (more commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act). This unique piece of immigration law launched the darkest and most despairing period in Chinese Canadian history. It also was the only time in Canadian history that one group was barred from entry based solely on their country of origin.

Between 1923 and 1947, when the Act was finally repealed, less than 50 new Chinese immigrants entered Canada. And for the thousands of Chinese men already living in Canada, particularly labourers, the law cut them off from their wives and children for decades. Some never earned enough to return to China. No one knew how long the doors would remain locked. Many married “bachelors” died in Canada without ever seeing their families or homeland again.

Even those Chinese who were born and raised on Canadian soil were swept up in parts of the 1923 Act that targeted this new generation for inclusion in the forms of exclusion.

The Province of British Columbia was a major advocate for the creation and passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which became law on Canada Day (known then as Dominion Day), July 1, 1923.

Today, this piece of legislation is largely forgotten. The impact that “exclusion” had on an already marginalized and segregated community has receded from memory. And the details and reasons for the dizzying array of government-issued, photo identification papers (known as C.I. certificates) — that were only issued to Chinese and were required to be produced upon demand — is no longer understood.

Almost all the individuals who were directly affected by this exclusion legislation, or the head taxes that preceded it, are no longer with us. However, many left behind to their families precious, fragile pieces of paper: C.I. certificates that today serve as the last piece of visual evidence of this story. Through these aging, fragile pieces of paper we can learn the story of the individual who owned it; the struggles of an early immigrant community; and the story of a dark period in Canadian history. 

Sadly, there are only a smattering of these C.I. certificates available in public archives. Thousands have been lost, destroyed or thrown out, either mistakenly or purposely. The vast majority of surviving C.I. certificates are squirrelled away in family boxes, albums and drawers.

In honour of those who endured this painful episode in our community’s history, and as a way to ensure new generations of Canadians understand and learn from this troubling chapter in our country’s past, we designed a multi-phased project.

1.    COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION: We invited Chinese Canadian families from across Canada to submit a scan of their family’s C.I. certificate and share the story of their ancestor(s). Approximately 775 C.I. certificates and stories were received and hundreds were incorporated into other parts of the project.  

2.    A MAJOR EXHIBITION: “The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act,” a national exhibition, opened July 1, 2023 at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. Welcoming thousands of visitors from around the world, the exhibition explores the “experience of exclusion” as revealed through forgotten stories of both tragedy and triumph. Over four galleries, the exhibition displays the largest collection of C.I. certificates ever shown in public.

3.    A COMMUNITY ARCHIVE: From the hundreds of scanned C.I. Certificates we collected from across Canada we have created the first of its kind community archival collection, The Paper Trail Collection. Housed as a special collection at the University of British Columbia Library, the records are an accessible, online archive that allows historians, researchers, students and family members to study these historical documents for educational purposes.

4.    PUBLIC PROGRAMMING: Between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2023 we collaborated with the Chinese Canadian Museum to host a series of instructional workshops, public talks, screenings and other public engagement events across Canada.

5.    A COMMEMORATIVE BOOK: Our final act will be to publish a commemorative, coffee table book. Partnering with Plumleaf Press, our goal is to have the book available for Asian Heritage Month (May) 2025. 

Contact us at: 1923.chinese.exclusion@gmail.com