Immigration and Canadian Diversity

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses two news accounts that presented similar backgrounds regarding the Chinese immigrants in the 19th century and the 20th century. The writer compares and contrasts events taken from these two time periods with academic sources detailing the same. The writer notes that economic strife and the hope of acquiring wealth, while apparently more pronounced in the 20th century, was the primary motivator for these people to take life-threatening risks as well as the risk of being turned back. The writer points out that the politico-social climate had perceptibly changed since 1860, particularly regarding the shift of perceptions of immigrants by native Canadians from a racial, white superiority perspective against the backdrop of colonialism to that of cultural paranoia fueled by biased media coverage and political secondary gain. The writer concludes that although steps have been taken to control immigration, cultural diversity remains elusive. This paper includes a detailed summary and notes regarding each of the sources.


Outline:
The 19th Century
20th Century
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"This was one of the first accounts of local press during the 1860s regarding the arrival of Chinese migrants to British Columbia. Being of a foreign land, they initially shared the white man's dreams of finding fortune in the new province similar to the California gold rush. It was an equal proving ground where, literally, one could keep what he reaped from the mines. However, as the fervor of finding instant fortune soon died down in the south, so did the gold rush in British Columbia. This did not mean that other industries were in lack. Indeed, the lumbering and agricultural industries were also abundant, owing to the gold rush that had to be sustained by settlements and towns requiring building materials and a means with which to feed the inhabitants."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Greenberg, Joshua. "Opinion discourse and Canadian newspapers: the case of the Chinese 'boat people.'" Canadian Journal of Communication [Online]. 25 (2000). 4 Oct 2006. <http://www.cjc-online.ca/viewarticle.php?id=601>.
• Pratt, Anna and Mariana Valverde. "From deserving victims to 'masters of confusion': redefining refugees in the 1990s." Canadian Journal of Sociology. 27 (2002): 135-162. 4 Oct 2006. <http://www.questia.com>.
• Roy, Patricia E. A White Man's Province: British Columbia Politicians and Chinese and Japanese Immigrants, 1858-1914. Vancouver, B.C.: University of British Columbia Press, 1989. 4 Oct 2006. <http://www.questia.com>.
• Sweetman, Arthur. "Introduction to Economic and Urban Issues in Canadian Immigration Policy." Canadian Journal of Urban Research. 13 (2004): 1+. 4 Oct 2006. <http://www.questia.com>.

More papers on Immigration and Canadian Diversity:

• Article Review # 129980 : "Immigration and Canadian Diversity"
• Analytical Essay # 134527 : "Immigration and the Theory of Law"
• Analytical Essay # 86625 : "Immigration and Diversity in Canada"

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