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Immigration Act
The 1919 Immigration Act was a new set of regulations made by the government to respond to the aftermath of the First World War. At this time, unemployment increased and it was hard to find jobs. These regulations were against immigrants that came from countries that fought against Canada in the War. This picture shows how these immigrants were treated wrongfully. Even though they worked well and did everything the owners asked for, native people were victims of racism. -
Indian Act
The Indian Act was a primary law that indicated that the federal government had power over the First Nation's land. The act stripped many laws away from Indians and First Nation's people which was wrong. Also, the act tried to eliminate the First Nations as a whole. This caused damage to indigenous cultures and societies. The picture shown is what the Indian act looked like. -
Residential Schools
Residential schools started under the Indian act. Residential schools were under the government’s ruling and it tried to wipe out the entire culture. Many indigenous and First Nations children had been stripped away from their homes and sent to residential schools. These kids would leave everything behind and start a new. They would forget their way of life and act in the way the Europeans wanted them to. This picture shows one of the classrooms. -
KKK Presence
The KKK was active and seen in Montreal and established many branches across Canada. The KKK was a group of people who had hatred for Roman Catholics. This organization had 40,000 members in the late 1920s. The Roman Catholics felt threatened by them and didn’t feel safe in their community. The picture shows what the KKK looked like. -
Chinese Immigration Act
The Chinese exclusion declared that all Chinese immigrants were banned from entry. Chinese people had to register for an identity card within 12 months. Only students, merchants, diplomats, and people returning from China for education were allowed. If you refused, you would either be put into prison or get a fine of 500 dollars. The act began since many Chinese immigrants arrived in B.C for the gold rush. This is a picture of an identity card that you would have to get. -
Anti-Semitism
There was prejudice towards Jewish people and their faith. This occurred for many years and it was blatant racism. Years before the second war, Jewish people were limited and restricted to many things such as medication and law. During this time, immigration policies denied Jewish applicants. This is a picture of signs that people held during this time. -
Christie Pits Riot
On August 16th, there was a baseball game that took place at Christie Pits Park in Toronto. A fight broke out because a group of people brought out a flag with the swastika on it. This made the other Jewish team and Jewish fans very angry. Even though there were no casualties, this event highlighted racism towards the Jewish faith. This is a picture of the riot near the baseball field. -
MS St. Louis
The MS St. Louis was denied entry by Canada and was forced to return to Europe. This caused 254 refugees to die in Nazi camps later on. 937 refugees boarded the ship and sought a place to call home and safety. The racism against the Jewish community made them very scared and made them feel threatened for their lives. This is a picture of the ship that carried these innocent Jewish people. Jewish people had to flee the country to avoid Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.