The British and Chinese signed the Treaty of Nanking in 1942, each providing their respective subjects with the right to benefit from full security and protection for their persons and property within each other’s boundaries. Even though China did not openly allow emigration(移居), in 1860 a law was passed which stated that Chinese, seeking to work in the British Colonies or other places, were at liberty to do so. They had only to ship themselves and their families on board any British vessel at any of the open ports in China. In 1868, another treaty, this one with the United States, gave the Chinese the right to change their home and loyalty from one country to another for the purposes of curiosity, of trade, or as permanent residents, thereby opening the gates for emigration from China.
The gold boom in the British Columbia in the 1850’s was the beginning of Chinese immigration from the U.S. into Canada. Many of these early immigrants sailed from Fujian and Guangdong provinces to San Francisco. When they heard of the gold discoveries in British Columbia, many crossed the border into Canada by moving overland through Oregon or arriving by sea in Victoria. When the gold deposits were depleted(用尽,枯竭), these early settlers stayed, moving into occupations like gardening, farming, domestic service, road construction, and railway building. By 1871, there were approximately 3,000 Chinese inhabitants in the province, only 53 of whom being women.
Since Chinese workers were known to be conscientious and reliable, several companies actively recruited them. As a result, it was estimated that 10,000 workers arrived between 1882 and 1884. In an effort to restrict the entry of Chinese immigrants, an act was passed in the Canadian Parliament confining the proportion to one person for every 50 tons of vessel tonnage(船舶的吨数). A head tax was also imposed. Records of those who paid the head tax are still available for viewing in the National Archives of Canada.
An article in the Illustrated London News in January 1875 gave some insight into the emigration process of the Chinese by conveying the ideas of changes they might undergo. The author thought the modifications(修改,改造) would be slight and principally external. He believed that, in an attempt to blend in, the Chinese would adopt American language, culture, and dress. However, because the Chinese brought with them a strong sense of their own identity, it wasn’t necessary for them to cultivate a North American way of life, nor did they feel and obligation to abandon their traditions day’s standards.
In the United States, there were two opposing points of view. On one side of the coin, the Chinese were seen as an inexpensive means of providing the manual labor necessary to develop the assets of the country, most often in hazardous occupations. On the other side, there were those who branded them as the “curse” of the nation. Some Americans applauded the Chinese but others condemned them as evil. Some were disturbed by what might happen if all the immigrants decided to stay. Their distress was unfounded however, as most Chinese had no intension of staying. Their greatest wish was to accumulate as much money as possible and return to China.
Guides(行会,协会) were set up to provide lodging and employment for the emigrants, for a fee of course. The fee ensured that the worker would be paid a decent wage and that his employer would not deceive him. The accumulated fees amounted to a large sum, allowing the Guilds to help those who were ill or out of work. They not only saw that the worker received whatever was due to him, they also made him pay all his debts. The worker wasn’t allowed to return to his own country without c certificate from his agent stating he owed nothing.
Many Chinese were able to save a portion of their earning to take with them to their family back home. Often, after workers returned to China, they would revisit North America to accumulate more money. Before being allowed to board a ship in China, however, they had to prove that they were going of their own free will and were under no labor contract. Before the ships set sail, the authorities would visit to guarantee that all on board had their tickets stamped and were not leaving the country against their will.