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CA-K281History

The exclusion of Chinese immigrants, 1923–1947

West Pender Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown, photographed in 2011.
West Pender Street in Vancouver’s Chinatown, photographed in 2011. W Pender St., Vancouver Chinatown · Kyle Lawrence · Photo source · Photo licence: CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized for display; item previews may be cropped. The image remains under the licence shown.
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The Chinese Immigration Act (Chinese Exclusion Act), which took effect on 1 July 1923, imposed discriminatory restrictions on Chinese immigration and replaced the head tax. All Chinese people in Canada, including those born here, had to register or risk fines, detention or deportation. Chinese Canadians challenged the law until its repeal in 1947.

Scope & context

The exclusion period, not the earlier head tax (see CA-K035) or later family reunification (see CA-K183).

Sources behind this record

1