Chinese Canadian farming history, 2023. Illustration by Rosena Fung.
File information | File dimensions | File size | Options |
Original JPG File | 2000 × 1100 pixels (2.2 MP) 16.9 cm × 9.3 cm @ 300 PPI |
1.7 MB | Restricted |
Screen | 1400 × 770 pixels (1.08 MP) 11.9 cm × 6.5 cm @ 300 PPI |
380 KB | Restricted |
Resource ID
10282
Access
Open
Date of Creation
June 2023
Keywords
Chinese Exclusion Act, Chinese-Canadian heritage, Chinese Canadian
Program Category
Education and Engagement
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Caption
Chinese Canadian farming history, 2023. Illustration by Rosena Fung.
Description
Chinese Canadians first turned to farming in British Columbia in the 1800s. According to sociologist Natalie Gibb, 90 per cent of B.C.’s vegetables were produced by Chinese farmers in 1921. However, due to the province’s Act to Prevent Chinese From Acquiring Crown Lands (1884), Chinese Canadians were not allowed to purches farmland, which were forcefully taken by European settlers from the indigenous community to start with. To find employment with limited opportunities, most Chinese Canadians became seasonal, tenant farmers for Caucasian farm owners. As temporary workers unable to buy property, Chinese Canadians became almost invisible in the historical record.