Chinese Head Tax redress:  Why is the federal government not negotiating with head tax payers and their descendants?

This message is from my friend Sid Tan, who is spokesperson for BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers Spouses and Descendants.  I too, am a descendant of head tax payers.  My mothers' father and grand father paid the head tax.  Sid's message follows:

Why doesn't the National Congress of Chinese Canadians want to talk to English-language media?
 
This information is from a Chinese-language media advisory. It looks like NCCC doesn't want English-language media there. It's 2:30pm at Chinese Cultural Centre Friday November 18.
I plan to be there around 2:00pm with Gim Wong and perhaps Linda Jang. We're not sure we will be let in. I have probably written more on this than most of the reporters there.
 
There will be a meeting of the BC Coalition of Head Taxpayers, Spouses and Descendants at 1:30pm on Sunday November 20 at the Quan Lung Sai Tong (164 East Hastings Street).

This is Charlie Quan's association and he and Gim Wong suggest we consult with the group for our next steps. Hope you can attend and please circulate to those who support a just and honourable redress for the Lo Wah Kiu (old overseas Chinese).
  
Take care.    anon    Sid
 
Go to www.headtaxredress.org and sign petition and read following for current news.
 
Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families And Chinese Canadian National Council

For Immediate Release

November 17, 2005

Chinese Canadians Condemn Secret Deal

Toronto:  Groups seeking redress of the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act are calling on the Canadian Government to put an end to secret deals once and for all. The Chinese Canadian National Council, Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families and BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants urge the Canadian Government not to empty the Acknowledgement Commemoration Education Fund (ACE Fund) before talking to the victims of 62 years of legislated racism: the Head Tax payers and families.

The National Congress of Chinese Canadians today announced that it has negotiated a deal with the government for the payout of $12.5 million and that the agreement will be signed on November 23rd. Apparently this has the backing of Minister of Multiculturalism Raymond Chan’s office.

“It’s outrageous that Minister Chan would say publicly on CBC that he is still open to negotiations with other groups while concluding a secret deal with his political cronies,” said Susan Eng, Co-Chair of the Coalition. “What part of “Gomery” do they not understand?”

“This issue has been absolutely churning in the Chinese language media so we would be surprised that the Prime Minister and his Government have missed the vocal opposition among Head Tax payers and families and throughout the community.” said Victor Wong, Executive Director of the Chinese Canadian National Council. “We call on Prime Minister Martin not to repeat the mistakes of the past and enter into good-faith negotiations with the Head Tax payers and families.”

“We are indeed shocked and angry to hear of this apparent sell-out,” Sid Tan of the BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers, Spouses and Descendants said today. “Is Minister Chan hiding behind the language barrier to silence his critics in the hopes that the wider community will never hear about it? The Minister has seriously bungled this case.”

The Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families consists of Head Tax payers, their surviving spouses and descendants.  They are joined in their demands for redress of the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act by the Chinese Canadian National Council, Chinese Canadian Redress Alliance, the Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, Metro Toronto Chinese and South East Asian Legal Clinic, BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers Spouses and Descendants.

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For further information, please contact:

Susan Eng, Coalition Co-Chair, (416) 960-0312

Victor Wong, CCNC Executive Director, national@ccnc.ca, (416) 977-9871

Sid Tan, BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers Spouses and Descendants, (604) 433-6169

Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families And Chinese Canadian National Council

 

Media   Advisory: November 7, 2005

Coalition marks 120th anniversary of completion of Canada's first transcontinental railway

TORONTO. The   Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families (Ontario Coalition)   will host a commemoration of the 120th anniversary of the completion of the   Canadian Pacific Railway at 12:30 pm EST today at the Monument to the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada in Toronto.

"November 7, 2005 is a significant date in the history of Canada," Doug Hum, Co-Vice Chair of the Ontario Coalition said today, "It’s the 120th anniversary   of the driving of the last spike in 1885 on November 7th at Craigellachie, British Columbia which completed the final railway link that joined Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans."

At this event, the   Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) will present the “Last Spike”, a "commemorative iron spike" received from celebrated Canadian historian and author Pierre Berton before his passing.  

Through this precious gift to   the CCNC, Mr. Berton recognized the early Chinese contribution to the building   of Canada. “We are pleased to have the support of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference,” Victor Wong, Executive Director of CCNC said today. “The union shares a common history with
the Chinese men who helped Canada achieve its National Dream – a railway linking the country from the Atlantic to the   Pacific.”

To complete this final   link, the Government of Canada had to
recruit thousands of Chinese workers   mostly from Guangdong, China when almost no one else could be found or were willing to do the work. There was tremendous opposition to Chinese workers in British Columbia at the time which prompted the first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. McDonald who being fearful that the completion of the railway might be jeopardized,
to lash out at opposition to Chinese workers saying that, "either you must have this labour or you can't have this railway."

"Immediately following   the last spike in 1885, the Government of Canada in pandering to racist elements at the time, slapped a head tax on all Chinese immigrants to Canada," said Susan Eng, Co-Chair of the Coalition.  "It began initially at $50, then was raised to $100 in 1900 and finally to $500 in 1903."  This "Chinese Head Tax" failed to deter Chinese immigration which led the Canadian Government to finally close the door on almost all Chinese immigration by enacting the "Chinese Exclusion Act" in 1923 which was not repealed until 1947.

To mark November 7th,   the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families is hosting a   commemoration of Chinese railroad workers in Canada and a press conference to   outline its plans for redress of the Head Tax and Chinese Exclusion Act.  In attendance will be direct descendents of the builders of the railway that helped to build Canada.

The Ontario Coalition   of Chinese Head Tax Payers and Families consists of head tax payers, their   surviving spouses and descendants.  They are joined in the campaign for   Head Tax redress by the Chinese Canadian National Council, the Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, Metro Toronto Chinese   and South East Asian Legal
Clinic, BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers Spouses and   Descendants, and other equality-seeking groups.

DATE:            Monday, November 7, 2005
TIME:             12:30 p.m. EST*
LOCATION:  The Monument to the Chinese Railroad
Workers in Canada at Blue Jays Way and Navy Wharf Ct. west of the dome stadium (Rogers Centre)

*The last spike was driven at 9:30 a.m. PST.

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For further   information and to arrange interviews, please contact:

Doug Hum, Chinese Head   Tax Payers and Families, Toronto, (416) 706-7886

Victor Wong, Chinese   Canadian National Council, Toronto, (416) 977-9871

Sid Tan, BC Coalition of Head Tax Payers Spouses and Descendants, Vancouver, (604)   433-6169

Chinese Canadian History Fair in Nanaimo at Malaspina College

The Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC organized another history fair, this time at Nanaimo's Malaspina University-College.   Nanaimo's Chinatown used to be a thriving bustling place from 1860 to 1923.  My great-great-grandfather, Rev. Chan Yu Tan, had ministered at the Chinese United Church around 1924. After becoming increasingly derelict it was destroyed by a fire September 30, 1960.  CCHS board member Dr. Imogene Lim played a big part in bringing many presenters together from Nanaimo, Cumberland, Vancouver and Prince George. 

Here's what Imogene had to say about the event:

"Although we had a very wet and stormy day, I think we can say the second CCHS Chinese Canadian History Fair was a success; we drew a sizable crowd to all the featured activities.  There was a lot of mingling and conversation between visitors and between exhibitors; in many cases, a reunion and reconnecting of intersecting lives." 

Fourteen displays were presented including the Nanaimo District Museum, Cumberland Historical Society, Chinese Women Aviators, Trev Sue-A-Quan's Guyanese Chinese  genealogy titled "Cane Reapers," Head Tax Redress, 1907 Riots, Chinese soccer team featuring Queene Yip, chinese cemetaries, and Chinese Canadian women pionneers.

Janice Wong presented her book CHOW From China to Canada: Stories of Food and Family.  This was followed by a panel discussion with Dr. Imogene Lim, restauranteur Gerry Wong who along with Janice all grew up in restaurant enviornments.  Gerry's father had chinese restaurants in Nanaimo, while Imogene's uncle and father ran the WK Gardens in Vancouver, which she described as a "high end" restaurant which had catered to Prime Ministers, royalty and entertainers such as Frank Sinatra and Gary Cooper.  Imogene even showed some of the original menus and special event menus created for events such as weddings and royal visits.

Karin Lee also showed her movie Comrade Dad, as well as having a display table.  It was the Vancouver Island premiere of Comrade Dad, a Karin Lee film about her father, Wally, who ran a Communist bookstore in Vancouver's Chinatown in the days before China was recognized by the Canadian government.
The NFB film featuring my cousin Rhonda Larrabee's story about growing up half Chinese and half First Nations, Tribe of One, was also shown.

I set up a display of the Rev Chan Family, including the poster displays that were made for our family reunions in 1999 and 2000.  It was very cool that I had pictures of Janice Wong's parents, Dennis and Mary, her grandparents Joseph and Rose, and her great grandfather, the Rev. Chan Yu Tan with his wife Wong Shee, as Janice is my 2nd cousin once removed.

Rhonda Larrabee is also a relative as her father Art is my grandmother's elder brother, so we had pictures of Rhonda at the reunions as well, with her brothers, daughters and grandchildren.

I had meant to phone my grand-aunt Helen who lives in Nanaimo, and tried to reach her through Directory Assistance once I got there but to no avail.  As I was setting up the display, I saw a white haired woman approach the Rev. Chan Family display flanked by CCHS board members Larry Wong and Edgar Wickberg. 

"That's my grandfather!" she exclaimed, "And my grandmother! How did you get these pictures!"

Both Larry and Ed looked over at me, as I stood silently behind my Auntie Helen.  I held my finger to my lips asking them not to say anything.

"That's his sister! How did you get these pictures!" my Aunt continued pointing at the pictures.

I finally spoke saying, "Please don't touch the pictures, they are very sensitive."

"Sorry," she said as she kept looking at the pictures saying, "That's my Aunt!  That's my Uncle!"

"Excuse me," I said, "How are you related to these people in the pictures?"

She turned and looked at me.  Her eyes suddenly widened joyfully in recognition.  "Todd!  What are you doing here?"

It turned out that Auntie Helen's friend had been listening to CBC Radio's North By Northwest, and host Sheryl Mackay had talked about the Chinese Canadian History Fair at Malispina College, and she told herself that her friend Helen had to be there. 

"You look just like your sister!" Janice Wong exclaimed to Auntie Helen, when I introduced them to each other for the very first time, during the CHOW book signing, after the panel discussion with Janice, Gerry and Imogene.  They had never met each other before, but they knew they were family.

The Chinese Vote in Vancouver: NPA, Vision Vancouver or COPE?

The Vancouver Sun has run an article titled Vision trying to lure Chinese voters away from NPA on today's page B5.  But the article does not identify a distinction between Chinese immigrant voters and the multigenerational Chinese Canadians born and raised in Canada.

The reporter Frances Bula, had interviewed me on Friday afternoon asking me about whether Vision Vancouver can capture some of the traditional Chinese vote in Vancouver.  I immediately asked "Which Chinese community vote are you talking about?"

"Raymond Louie, is the first Vancouver born City Councillor," I told Frances Bula, who was surprised at the fact. Bill Yee was the first Chinese elected to council but he wasn't born in Vancouver.  "Sandra Wilking was the first Chinese woman councillor but was born in South Africa. Jenny Kwan was the first COPE councillor but was born in Hong Kong.

"We have to go back to Douglas Jung in 1957" to find a Chinese Canadian politician born in Vancouver."  Jung was Canada's first Member of Parliament.  Even Art Lee, elected in the 1970's had come from Alberta.

"We are what I call the 'invisible visible-minority', multi-generational Canadian born chinese, who have integrated and assimilated into the mainstream," I told the reporter.

"How do I vote?  I vote according to the person, rather than strictly along party lines.  It's important to have a healthy opposition in government, or on civic council  That's why people kept voting for Harry Rankin.

"I like Ellen Woodsworth of COPE, and Heather Deal of Vision Vancouver.  I've gotten to know them since they were elected.  I know both Sam Sullivan and Jim Green - Sam has supported our Asian Canadian Writers Workshop dinners, and Jim has helped us with the Save Kogawa House campaign.  Anne Roberts, Peter Ladner, along with Woodsworth and Sullivan also attended my Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner earlier this year. They are all wonderful human beings."

"I first got to know Raymond Louie through his wife, when she was on the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society.  Raymond, like all my cousins on my mom's side - all married caucasians." This surprised the reporter.

Raymond wants to be more than just "the Chinese councillor" - more importantly, he identifies himself as a Canadian who happens to be of Chinese ethnicity, as I do.  I can actually say this about many multi-generational ethnic Canadians, because we think Canadian first!  And we are better able to cross ethnic lines this way, and better able to understand all cultures.

Raymond's family has been in Vancouver for a long time.  We gave shared stories about early Chinatown experiences.  George Chow's grandfather paid the head tax, and he immigrated to Vancouver in the 1960's.  Personally, I don't expect the newer immigrant counsellor candidates to understand some of these issues about head tax or the experiences of the pioneer chinese of the 1800's and early 1900's.  But I think Raymond and George can.  They are also people I can relate to and trust.  Then again, I can't expect myself to understand a lot of the immigrant Chinese issues.  But because I am more familiar with Chinese culture, and work with and know a lot of immigrant Chinese, I am probably more knowledgeable than somebody who is non-Chinese and hasn't experienced similar issues.

Raymond I and were both at the opening of the 3 Chinese Canadian Pioneer Familes exhibit at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and archives in 2002.  I am descended from Rev. Chan Yu Tan, and he is a distant relative of H.Y. Louie, who were both featured along with Lee-Bick, the ancestor of former UBC Counsellor and Vancouver businessman Bob Lee.

I think that it is a myth that the Chinese vote traditionally goes to the NPA, and it may be simply that the NPA were better at recruiting candidates such as Tung Chan, Don Lee, and Daniel Lee, who as native Chinese speakers were better able to speak to Chinese media.  Even the Chinese Canadian voters didn't fully support Douglas Jung in his re-election bid, nor did Don Lee and Daniel Lee get re-elected in the last civic election, even though Raymond Louie was elected.

I know that I have also had the pleasure to meet Alan Wong and John Cheng, the COPE and NPA Vancouver School Board Trustees.  They are also both wonderful men, but I relate a bit better to Alan maybe because he grew up here in Canada, and we are closer in age.

I think that when people vote, they want the people who can best represent their interests.  And this may also mean voting for people that come from similar backgrounds, hence immigrants may be more likely to vote for other immigrants of similar background.  But they may also vote for people who are multigenerational, and represent how their children will grow up as integrated Canadians and Vancouverites.

I forgot to tell the reporter that I'll be attending the Libby Davies' COPE chinese dinner fundraiser on November 10th at the Rich Ocean Seafood Chinese Restaurant on 777 West Broadway.  It's being organized by my friend Meena Wong, who is helping COPE as a chinese voter strategist.  And I may even be wearing my kilt as a performer with my accordion.  How Chinese is that?  Not very.... but very multicultural Vancouver!

My friend Sid Tan is an advocate for Chinese Head Tax Redress.  On Monday he spoke on CBC Radio's BC Almanac in opposition to Mr. Don Lee of the NCCC, after returning from Ottawa to present to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

The following is a letter Sid wrote in reply to the Vancouver Province Article.

Yo Folks. My letter to follow up on the Vancouver Province article. Take care. anon Sid

Re: Group fights Ottawa plan on head tax
by Elaine O'Connor, October 31, 2005, p. A9
Dear Editors.

Thank you for Elaine O'Connor's report on the progress of Bill C-333, the so-called Chinese Canadian Recognition and Redress Act. Reported extensively across Canada in the Chinese-language media and somewhat in the English-language eastern Canada media, the story has been largely ignored by the English- language media in B.C. Rather disappointing, considering the size of BC's ethnic Chinese population and the fact the head tax and exclusion laws were Vancouver-grown politically and geographically.

The Vancouver connections in this is federal Multiculturalism Minister Raymond Chan and Don Lee, currently candidate for Vancouver school trustee. Mr. Lee and his friends formed the National Congress of Chinese Canadians when the Chinese Canadian National Council took a principled position in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989. The CCNC strongly condemned the human rights record of the government of the People's Republic of China. Chinese Canadian PRC apologists felt for their wallets and the result was the NCCC, sympathetic to a government that sent tanks to murder citizens in peaceful assembly for democracy and freedom.

Now the Canadian government maybe negotiating a redress agreement, primarily a human rights matter, with an organisation formed to thwart and frustrate the efforts of legitimate human rights and social justice groups such as the Chinese Canadian National Council. The CCNC was formed in 1980 and has led the redress campaign nearly since it began in Vancouver in 1984 when head-tax payer Leon Mark asked Margaret Mitchell, then New Democrat MP for Vancouver East, if anything could be done to get his tax refunded.

The NCCC lack of English-language literature and website (see www.n-c-c-c.ca)  seemingly underscores the group's shadowy nature as the long arm of China in our domestic and local affairs.  Under the guise of culture, art and trade, the group and it's members have primarily a trade and business agenda. This ensure  they and the governing federal Liberals will make a scam and sham of redress for the sake of votes and financial profit. The surviving head-tax payers, spouses and descendants, who should be the focus of a just and honourable redress, will again be humiliated.

As July 1, 1923, then Dominion and now Canada Day, was referred to as Humiliation Day by the Lo Wah Kiu (old overseas Chinese). Bill C-333 is already being referred to as the Chinese Canadian Humiliation Act. Multiculturalism Minister Raymond Chan, one time advocate for freedom and democracy in China, is in charge of this file and acting like a houseboy for the government. He should be a champion for the Lo Wah Kiu, who overcame the 62-years of unjust and oppressive laws and made it possible for him to be in public office.

This redress is not only a Chinese Canadian community human rights issue. It is a human rights issue all Canadian should be informed about. Start by asking how much credibility can Raymond Chan, Don Lee and the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, with their coziness to the PRC, have on human rights in Canada? And is the PRC meddling in Canadian affairs?

Yours sincerely,
Sid Chow Tan, President
Association of Chinese Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society
(Successor to the Vancouver Association of Chinese Canadians)

Sid Tan went to Ottawa to speak on Bill C-333 - (the inappropriately named Chinese Canadian Recognition and Redress Act) to the Standing Committee on Candian Heritage, Ottawa, Ontario on Oct 25th. Here is Sid's presentation....   more »

Vancouver Province
October 31, 2005, p. A9

Vancouvuer Province: Groups fight Ottawa's Plan on Chinese Head Tax

Groups fight Ottawa's plan on head tax
by Elaine O'Connor, Staff Reporter

Chinese-Canadian groups are meeting in Ottawa today to try and put the brakes on a government bill they say will do nothing to repair the damage done by the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act (sic).

"There is anger in the community...and it's really coming out in full force now," said Victor Wong of the Chinese Canadian National Council. "The head-tax payers and families are saying, "No, we are not going to accept this."

"Ottawa's February budget included a $25-million, three year fund for programs to addresspast injustices against ethno-cultural groups."

The council, along with National Anti-Racism Council of Canada and the B. C. Coalition of Head-Tax-Payers, Spouses and descendants are protesting the redress plan.

Other groups, including the National Congress of Chinese Canadians, back the plan, which designates the congress as representative for all Chinese groups.

"Our group is not calling for individual compensation, but some kind of funding for community use, for educational purposes, and also maybe for recognition of the pioneer Chinese and the (war) veterans," Don Lee, national director of the congress, said. yesterday. Bill 333 (sic) comes out for debate in the Commons tomorrow.

Wong, whose grandfather was forced to pay a $500 head tax in 1912, said the council has been trying to get the government to "come to the table and negotiate a real redress agreement."

He discribed the idea of commemorative stamps, plaques, films and photo exhibits as "token" measures that should be funded by Heritage Canada so that the $25-million could be used for real redress.

n.