How Chinese Immigrant Labour shaped past and present
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- Опубликовано: 13 апр 2023
- In this video, Kevin Hicks explores how Chinese immigrant labour played a significant role in shaping Canada's past and present. During the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Chinese labourers were brought over to work in dangerous and grueling conditions, with many losing their lives in the process. After construction of the railway they faced discrimination and racism, so moved east to towns like Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, only to face other hardships. Today their legacy is recognized and celebrated as their contributions have helped shape Canada's diverse and multicultural society.
Shot on location at the excellent tourist attraction, the Tunnels of Moose Jaw. tunnelsofmoosejaw.com
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IMAGE CREDITS:
Old Moose Jaw: Courtesy of PrairieTowns.com www.prairie-towns.com/moosejaw
Group of Chinese railway workers, Image D-07548: Courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives
Railway construction images: Courtesy of the McCord Stewart Museum www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/
Chinese Revolutionary War: Courtesy Wellcome Library, London, CC BY 2.0
Now this is what I would call a hidden gem. Most of us in the US are familiar with the history of Chinese immigration to California and the railroads, never would have thought of immigrants from China as far back as the fur trade in Canada. The most recent bit of history I learned about Chinese is immigration is how we got American Chinese food, starting with chop suey, from bachelors who had never cooked before and needed how to figure it with what was available to them, then when they started to open restaurants that catered to their fellows the middles classes got wind of it and thought that it was this exotic cookery and made it main stream. But I am forever grateful to those men that were figuring out how cooking worked every time I order a take away. 😊
Excellent, thanks Jodie. I never thought of that 👍🏻
Good show Kevin.
As a child in South Saskatchewan during the 60s. I believed every town had at least one Chinese
restaurant/store. That wasn’t far from the truth.
They were Ubiquitous in small towns.
Hardworking friendly community supporters.
Thank you for the very interesting and informative video. As usual, I learned things I did not know. I was aware of a lot of discrimination against the Chinese on the American railways, but was not aware of the nearly equal Canadian discrimination that took place. Such actions were indeed sad and disgraceful on the part of both nations. Cheers from Texas, and I'll be waiting on the next video.
Thanks David, much appreciated. 👍🏻
Thank you for sharing the story of the Chinese immigrants, Kevin!!💗❤👍
Very interesting, your delivery and personality shine and make me want to hear more. I’m slowly making my way through all of your ‘episodes’. Excellent stuff😊
Excellent, thanks very much 👍🏻
I consider myself Canadian, yet my grandparents immigrated from the British isles around 1900.
Not too long ago I was talking with a delightful Chinese lady, perfect English and well educated. Turned out she was 9th generation Canadian. Her great great great (9x) grandparents were on those early ships!
Canada is such a young country compared to European or Asian history.
I was born in San Diego, California. There are houses in the little town in Germany where I have lived since retirement a couple of hundred years before San Diego was founded.
The Chinese who immigrated to Australia before and after the 1850s gold rushes were treated terribly. Forced to change their names, paid poorly, with little to no Legal Rights. Looked upon as subhuman, ostracised and segregated, their family histories were lost. Our Colonies endless shameful acts was then and to this day, remains mostly untold.
This is why I subscribed to you: Your voice doesn't just list facts, your voice expresses heart felt compassion with every fact told. You're our most honorable of historians.
That's so very kind of you, thank you.
Amazing history to let us learn more about Chinese history
I enjoyed this Kevin it's nice to see you out and about checking out different parts of history around where you live.
Cheers 👍🏻
My great-grandfather was in the second generation of Chinese workers who went over to operate the railroad after those who built it. If I know the story correctly, he did manage to go from that to having his own restaurant in Regina and raise some decent savings before returning to China. I appreciate this video helping fill in some details on how much (and how costly) of an effort that probably was and the agents involved. Until my dad and I can visit Saskatchewan and learn more, this tells us more about his story or that of someone like him.
Thanks, Kevin!
You're most welcome, thank you. I'm glad you found the video helpful. 👍🏻
Thank you so much for telling this story of the Chinese immigrants. Fascinating and horrifying in equal measure.😮
It alway bothers me when people talk about how terrible it is in our world today. And it makes me wonder if they ever reseached any history in thier lives? Thing aren't perfect, but it's not that bad for most people today, compared with what our ancestors went through.
My sister just had to have an appendectomy done to save her life. I thank human progress and goodness that it is now understood and the surgery is old hat.
@@ManDuderGuy I've had 3 different occasions that modren medicine has save my life. So I understand where you're coming from.
Buddy, look into the awful conditions people inndure coming into the usa today. BEATEN, RAPED, DISAPPEARED. Via Mr Myorkas and the Democrats
@@ManDuderGuy I have only had one and so has my mum but an important one it was when I was born 67 years ago . My mum went on to live another 69 years.
I am probably not thee 'Victor' so I am writing the history books now In case I lose.
I'm working with a Taiwanese woman who's 76 she's not exactly a whirlwind but she does still work it's amazing and she's teaching me and everyone else chinese
Greetings once again from nova Scotia, thanks for another great and important video. I will always be mindful of the sacrifices made by countless immigrants who literally BUILT this nation, and without thier hard work we would be much less of a nation. Thank you for bringing all these stories to life, be well, be safe and as always best regards, Arthur
Thanks Mr. Hicks. I have only just discovered your videos. Your videos are fantastic. I am a Hong Kong Chinese who used to in Toronto; I was completely unaware of this piece of dark history of my fellow countrymen. And in this modern day era, the Chinese has still been seen as threat by the West. How very sad. It seems people don't learn from history. Hopefully your wonderful storytelling can help to change the World into a better one.
Hello Katherine & thank you for your kind comment. Welcome to the channel 👍🏻
Another amazing video! A part of history I was not aware of. Yes the railway part of it, but not the hardships of those laundries. Have to.admire their tenacity!
You always have the most interesting videos. I learn so much. Thanks a bunch.
My pleasure!
This is one of my favorite videos of yours, Kevin. Beautifully written and presented. Canada is fortunate to have you tell its stories.
That's very kind of you to say Ted, thank you 👍🏻
Properly made lye soap isn't caustic all the lye is neutralized. The laundry used the worst, that they could find. Unless it was a small family run laundry.
My grandma made lye soap & we were all washed with it; it doesn't burn you! You could hardly wash clothes in something that would "eat" them.
Brilliant video Kevin. I knew Chinese labourers built the central pacific railroad, but knew nothing about the labourers in Canada. As an aside, grandad worked in Limehouse prior to WW1. Whilst working there he picked up some Chinese language skills - think pretty basic stuff. But when he was called up he went into the Royal Naval Air Service and spent his war organising Chinese Labourer Battalion workers as he could speak some Chinese!
Excellent! Interesting to hear what different servicemen did during the war
Enjoyed this video. I have several family members who gave in-laws who immigrated to the US during the 1800s and early 1900s. My immediate family have lots of Irish who immigrated and suffered poor treatment as well.
Thank you Kevin, I have watched documentaries on the TransAmerica railways being built and all the thousands of Chinese immigrates workers/Slaves that perished building that railway and how they were treated during, terrible stuff. 👍😊
That's not a washing dolly (aka a posser). A washing dolly consist of a long pole with a handle at one end and a dome, cone or a had three legs at the other end (the cone and dome had holes ariund the rim to let the water through). They were used to agitate the water in the copper to get the dirt out.
Yes you're right, it was my mistake. I'd forgotten about the actual dolly 👍🏻
Great education to hear about the forgotten from thehistorysquad. Good on the Chinese seems a life of sacrifice even today for most of them.
Thank you for sharing, good story telling. 🙋♂️🐈🐈
Excellent topic and presentation by Kevin...👍
Cheers Steve 👍🏻
I love doing my work and watching/listening to your stuff. I didn’t know all that stuff about them working in the wash houses with the old machinery I just envisioned what it is like nowadays of course it wouldn’t be like it is nowadays of course it would be so much worse. I’m glad that I know this now.
I have been through both of the Moose Jaw tunnel tours- if you are in Saskatchewan, you should definitely go see them. Great reenactment, educational and entertaining, you won't regret your visit.
Absolutely, they're great fun 👍🏻
Great video as always. Love it!
Great great video Kevin. Had similar issues in San Francisco in USA. Didn’t know this about Canada I appreciate your videos!
Thanks for watching 👍🏻
Thank you for this channel! I love history and thought I had already seen what I needed to see....then I found your videos and history is exciting and fun again ! Also greetings from Maine, I had no idea you were in Canada!
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching.
Very interesting and nicely presented. Thank you.
Thank you for making the video. I learned so much and questioned myself about why I have scrolled by for 7 days? Please share this great video !
Thanks for watching Dave, I hope you’ll take a look at some our other videos in the playlists 👍
Kevin just an incredible piece of history. Wow
Wow. Such disgusting conditions. Thanks Kevin and julie.
Cheers Darrell, thanks for watching 👍🏻
Love it Kevin, really i do. You take the time for the small things, be it your attire, the situ, or the props. Truly a gem. Let me copy something AI wrote to me;
Copying writing (manuscripts), the printing press, telegraph lines, radio, television, the internet, and now AI have all had a significant impact on marketing and advertising. These technological advancements have changed the way companies market their products and services, as well as how they reach and engage their target audiences.
Copying writing (manuscripts): Before the printing press, marketing and advertising were limited, as information and messages had to be written by hand, resulting in low reach and limited exclusivity.
Printing press: Made it possible to mass-produce printed materials such as posters, brochures, and newspapers. This increased the reach and speed of marketing and advertising.
Telegraph lines: With the telegraph, companies could send messages quickly over long distances, increasing the speed
Radio: The radio offered a new channel for marketing and advertising, increasing the reach and speed of the message. It became possible to reach large audiences quickly and efficiently.
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AI (artificial intelligence): AI now helps companies analyze customer data and behavior to create more effective and personalized marketing strategies. This has led to an increase in exclusivity, as companies can target specific segments and offer tailored promotions.
Exclusivity and the liberalization of information:
Exclusivity refers to something being limited to a specific group or clientele. In the beginning, marketing and advertising were more exclusive, as technology did not allow for reaching large audiences. However, over time and with technological advancements, information has become more liberal and accessible to a broader audience.
The liberalization of information means that information becomes more easily accessible, and more people can access it. This is largely due to the development of technology, which has made marketing and advertising more democratic and accessible for both companies and consumers. Companies can now target their marketing to a wider audience and tailor their messages to different segments, while consumers can access a larger amount of information and compare products and services before making purchase decisions.
In today's digital world, it is possible for individuals and small businesses to market and advertise themselves using social media. In the past, this was next to impossible due to the limitations in technology and access to marketing channels.
During feudalism and similar periods, the opportunities to spread information and market products and services were very limited. Information was mainly spread through oral tradition, and only those who had resources and power could disseminate information on a larger scale.
During the era of big TV channels and record labels, marketing and advertising were also limited by the large players' control over marketing channels. It was difficult for individuals and smaller businesses to compete with these large companies and gain access to the resources and channels required to reach a broad audience.
Now, with the help of social media, individuals and small businesses can market and advertise their products and services directly to their target audience without having to go through traditional marketing channels. They can use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and RUclips to create and share content, engage their followers, and spread their message. This has led to a more democratic and accessible marketing and advertising landscape.
Cheers! Best history on youtube!😇
Thanks Jerry 👍🏻
Kevin, wonderful video, very informative. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks.
Keep up the amazing videos coming Kevin
And besides that - great video, again. The set, the narration, the facts, everything.
Thank you Kevin I was just thinking of this peril today!
Fascinating well done Kev certainly kept my attention mate👍
Good to hear Grant, thanks.
Excellent video thanks
As always, a great video Kevin!
Thanks Jon 👍🏻
Yalls content is always a hit.
I'm not familiar with Canadian history, let alone Chinese Canadian history. Thank you for being on the internet so I can learn.
Hi Kevin,
When you talked about the washing, I thought you were me! I did the same helping light the boiler for the hot water, then using the dolly to do the washing and then a big AND got my fingers stuck in the rollers.
Thanks for all the videos.
Dave
Haha, OUCH!!
This is awesome content. Rectifying the past.
Another fantastic video. My favorite history channel
Thanks ed 👍
Learning sooooo much from you Kevin!
Good to hear it Vicky, thanks 👍🏻
Brilliant video and I formation Kevin.
I wonder what, if any, interaction these folk had with the various first nation Canadians during their travels, was there any empathic bond between them, or just more distrust?
A good, thought provoking insight Sir; for their story is no longer 'unknown'. Nice one : )
I really like your work. 😊
Thank you !
Unfortunately things like this happen and are still happening throughout the world man inhumanity to man and women sad
Here in the U.S. we call them rollers.....wringers......when automatic washers came out they didn't have the spin cycle as it's called to day. You had to take the soaking wet items out of the washer and put them into a Wringer, the washer was 15 cents (USD), the wringer 10 cents and the driers were 20 cents. It was when I was eight that the new washes came out that had the spin cycle and now it cost 25 cents to wash and 25 cents to dry your wash. Now it's 1.75 (USD) so I'm very glad I have a washer and drier of my own....lol.
Yep, me too. 👍
Err Kevin! In YORKSHIRE a Dolly was a long handled broom like thing with three shorter legs on the end that was used to agitate your washing in a Dolly Tub.
What you show here really was called a washboard and was used in skiffle groups!
Skiffle ! I love bands from England !
I find learning about other people wonderful
Great video Kevin. Many people don't know or basically ignore the work and benefit immigration does. In Chicago the Irish built the canal. Then the Germans and eastern Europeans worked in terrible conditions in the meat packing. Later the Italians and then the African Americans from the south. After that the Hispanics. It goes in cycles. Working jobs that have to be done but many people don't want to do. And this is just Chicago. Very sad but necessary to learn.
I feel like you would get more clicks if you put your face into the thumbnails!
I was scrolling and forgot that this was your channel and didn't expect to hear your wonderful voice, which knowing to expect would have made me click immediately.
Ah, a great point, thanks for mentioning it. I'll chase Julie to do that in the future 👍🏻
Some of the unpleasant past of Canada. We sure do need to learn of them, in order to have a better balanced understanding and perspective. Thank you.
I did not know there were Chinese going to Canada. We learn about the Transatlantic railroad and California Gold rush, but not this. There is a population in my small city that came here to build a canal. And its really neat where these hard working immigrants ended up.
I would never treat people like that
Hi Kevin,
It just goes to show.
History is there to learn from and not to destroy like so many of the young people of today think they should
There is a well documented story that when the Central Pacific was being built construction foreman James Harvey Strobridge vocally complained to superintendent Charles Crocker about his decision to use Chinese Immigrant Laborers to build the railroad saying that the Chinese were too small and scrawny to handle the heavy work to build the railroad to which Crocker responded "The Chinese built the Great Wall of China, didn’t they! Certainly they can be useful in building a railroad, don’t you think?". Strobridge begrudgingly relented and hired 50 Chinese workers, a month later and they proved to be more than useful and soon the Chinese made up ~90% or more of the Central Pacific's work force. They dug and blasted their way through the Sierra Nevada mountains and managed to lay ten miles of track in a single day setting a world record.
This kind of activity comes to mind when I hear about reparations.
Make no mistake, life was hard, brutish and short for the vast majority of people for most of the time we have has what is classed as a Civilisation!
Thanks for shining a light on some of the darker corners!
Think about life in the native country!
Kevin mentioned the wars going on.
Chinese and Blacks do t hold the market on hardship and discrimination.
@@tudyk21 Exactly!
Many of the things we take for granted are built on suffering. Just look at the history of Rubber!
Kevin, I think the moustache looks good on you, consider bring in it back again.
Omg do the series on opium wars, brits😂
FYI : lye soap only burns the skin if its new. once it has aged its as safe as any modern soap.
Omg heavy iron😮 so terrible😢 poor coolies
Another interesting video Mr Hicks, seems odd seeing you in ‘normal’ attire 🤘🏹
Yeah, it feels weird too 😜
I got my fingers pinched in my grandmother’s clothing “wringer” once.
Once was enough to teach me not to touch that thing again.
What happened to the leopard who fell in the washing machine? It came out spotless.
🤣
The sad part is that this type of treatment to workers still goes on today, ironically by the Chinese to North Koreans, Filipinos, and anyone else from a poor country. This also happens in Dubai and other rich Arab countries to Indian workers and others from poor countries.
wow. 100 years ago.
The name for America (perhaps only San Francisco) apparently translates as "Gold Mountain" from the Mandarin of the time, indicative of the promise.
$100 in 1900 is equivalent to just over $3500 today, who could afford to pay that? and then they raised it to $500, at that point I can't imagine anyone paid $17500 to enter.
05:45 these beds are also extremely similar to the beds used in Auschwitz
Yes, and in the workhouses. 👍🏻
So, my question is why didn't they use their money from the railway to buy passage back to China abord a merchant ship? (Would say they could voluntary press themselves into the Navy, but I don't see the Navy - US or Canada - accepting them due to the language issue)
The other option is to go South... and I can't say for sure if it was better or worse here in The States... guess they could work for our railroads? Or find something in San Francisco?
Similar to the Irish, Polish, Italian immigrants to The US. They formed their own communities.
It says something, here in the U.S. the Chinese and Japanese were gathered up and put into camps during World War II and were not released until after Japan surrendered. And many of these people were born and raised some second and third generations in his country. It was a DISGRACE!
Those who do not learn history are destined to repeat it. That is what bothers me about the current fashion of tearing down statues and remaking things. Canadian history is not all sugar and sweets, there are a number of parts that we can not be proud of, but I hope that by more people learning all about history we can form a better future.
👍🏻
Kevin, another great job! Now I know why there was a Chinese restaurant in Val Marie, Sask. in 1967.
That's for sure 👍🏻
Hate to say it, but, food, and accommodation, takes more than half my wages in this day and age here in America.
Sadly that's the irony of it. Thanks for watching.👍🏻
Good afternoon Kevin. Thanks for this interesting and surprising video. I never thought of Canada exploiting the Chinese, where the USA is infamous for it.
The bunks reminde me of those saloubrious all in Government paid trips to Northern Ireland we used to get back in the 70s, small rooms in Nissen huts with bunks stacked 3 high, in resorts such as sunny Bogside. And now illegal immigrants baulk at staying in top hotels. When we finally do get to deport them they should be flown out in the backs of RAF C130s from small bases and not fine airports and top air liners.
Sorry for my rant but when we see how successive British Governments treat our service brothers and sisters, after their personal sacrifice it is no better than the exploitation of the Chinese in your tale here.
A sterling comment Colin, I remember that too, and do concur 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad Thank you Kevin.
Both in Canada and in the United States after they had their transcontinental railroads built they limited the number of Chinese second come in to a trickle at least in the United States in the early 1880s they actually banned the immigration of Chinese except for students and business people
My family at least my father’s family came in the 1900s from 1939 to about 1940s and 1950s so they were not part of this immigration wave in the 1800s
I don’t know if Canada discouraged Chinese from staying there but I don’t think they encourage for the Chinese immigration I would rather hostile toward it I had met Chinese Canadians when I was younger and they have stories of family members having to pay a poll tax and I had taxi got a yearly basis just to stay in Canada
I cannot speak for Americans I know a handful of them are usually living in the western part of the country that are descendants of these Chinese and they usually mixed with other people now
It is a sad state of affairs with you treat people like that it was the same way during the Gold rush and sometimes the they are murder for their Gold that they mind for themselves
There are more Chinese in Ontario than Saskatchewan.
The Royal Alberta Museum did a great display on this topic about 10 years ago, called "Chop Suey on the Prairies", There's a short vid on RUclips about it. I'm on the west coast now but there's no shortage of Chinese history out here too! Mike.
That's not surprising, Castro junior loves pleasing his communist masters
@@heybabycometobutthead Who mentioned Castro Jr in the first place...?
@@Lassisvulgaris Me
Im 🇨🇦
Thanks for listening 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad actually I thank you 🙏
Hi Kevin, thank you for sharing this story. I'm British-Born Chinese, and it does pain me to hear of how my ancestors were discriminated against. Of course, every immigrant-nationality suffers on some level, but the Chinese were discriminated against in their own country, also!
We continue to face discrimination; stereotypes-aside, COVID certainly hasn't helped, and of course, the CCP really don't do the Chinese people many favours on the international stage, but our stories just aren't as sexy as other headlines; nor, daresay, are they novel, but rather systemic.
Either way, went off on a rant here, sorry. Thanks again, keep up the great work, been a fan of yours since your Longbow at Warwick castle video!❤
Cheers Mark 👍🏻
As a fellow Brit I'm sorry to hear it.
@@TheRuralpoet cheers matey, but don't be sorry! ❤
Cannada early 1900s late 1890s if i recall correctly women werent even considered legally as ppl until a law was declared 😂
Nice leather jacket
Coolies😂
Wouldn't the repeal of the Exclusion Act in 1947 coincide with the fall of the Nationalist Chinese government and the rise of the Maoist government?
Its funny but the Canadians and Americans weren't the only ones that treaded the Chinese badly. I think every country did. Theu got them to do the work that europeans wouldn't for bad pay and conditions. Making countries prosper. Then get treaded like rubbish.
You next need to come to Australian goldfields like Lambing Flat, to talk about Chinese immigrants. We treated them even worse. Scalping them and taking their ponytails was something to be proud of back then, massacres happened and nobody even cared to count how many poor Chinese were killed.
How awful, I haven't heard of that.
@@thehistorysquad the Lambing Flat Riots pretty much started the white Australia policy. The army was called in a couple times to try and stop it but they just waited until the army left for the next riot to kick off. They called it a "riots" but it was several massacres
I guess it's one of our most shameful points in history.
Another interesting story is "the Cowra breakout" or "the night of a thousand suicides" (depending where you hear the story from). The POW camp was filled with Japanese, they were ashamed that we treated them so well and being caught. They raced to the fence climbing over each other towards a gun turret, the Aussies kept firing until they were taken over. My nan remembers that over the next days and weeks they would find the Japanese hanging from trees or hanging in their barns, always worried they would find someone alive who wanted to fight still.
Jeez, that's some blot on history there. Thanks for enlightening me @@charliekezza
🧺😮
Basically it was just slavery
White Australia policy.?
It reminds me of the concentration camps 😢