This succinct sociological analysis of the Chinese in Canada, from their arrival in 1858 to the present, focuses on the development of institutional racism against the Chinese and its impact on the Chinese community. The first section examines the history of Chinese immigration to Canada: Why they came, how they were treated, and why a policy of racial exclusion was formulated against them: the major argument here is that institutional racism was a structural imperative that had little to do with cultural misunderstanding or individual idiosyncrasies. The second section deals with the impact of racism on the Chinese community, including the restriction of economic opportunities, the emergence of ethnic business, the disruption of conjugal life, and the delay of a second generation. The last section considers the occupational achievements of Chinese-Canadians in the period of industrial expansion in the 1960s and after; it focuses on the degree to which they have realized the Canadian dream of upward mobility and the kind of obstacles they have encountered in moving away from traditional service jobs into the professional sector.
PETER S. LI is Professor of Sociology and Director of the Social Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan. He is the author of Social Research Methods (1981), Racial Minorities in Multicultural Canada (With B. Singh Bolaria, 1983), and Racial Oppression in Canada (1985).
Author(s): Peter S. Li & Brett Miller
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 1988
Language: English
Commentary: Bookmarked, OCR (Clearscan)
Pages: 180
City: Toronto
Tags: Social Science, Anthropology, Cultural & Social, Emigration & Immigration, Minority Studies, Discrimination & Race Relations
Front Cover
Half Title Page
Full Title Page
CANADIAN CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA
Acknowledgements
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Sociological themes of racial inequality
I THE DEVELOPMENT OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM
1 Chinese Emigration
Conditions in China
Mechanisms of Chinese immigration
The social background of Chinese emigrants
TABLE 1.1 STATED OCCUPATION OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF CHINESE ENTERING CANADA, 1885-1903
The mobility dream and sojourner orientation
2 Racism Against the Chinese
Chinese labour and the opening of the west
Anti-orientalism and legislative control
The meaning of institutional racism
TABLE 2.1 TOTAL REVENUE FROM HEAD TAX AND REGISTRATIONS FOR LEAVE OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS, 1886-1943
II THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN THE EXCLUSION ERA
3 Occupations and Ethnic Business
Chinese labourers in a split labour market
TABLE 3.1 WAGES OF CHINESE AND WHITE LABOUR BY SELECTED OCCUPATIONS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, AROUND 1900
Occupational patterns under exclusion
TABLE 3.2 OCCUPATIONS OF CHINESE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA (1885), VICTORIA (1901), AND CANADA (1921, 1931)
TABLE 3.3 DISTRIBUTION OF CHINESE POPULATION IN CANADA, 1881-1941
The social organization of Chinese businesses
4 Marriage and the Family
The traditional Chinese family: myth and reality
Historical patterns of the Chinese-Canadian family
TABLE 4.1 AGE AND SEX OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED ANNUALLY TO CANADA, 1907-24
TABLE 4.2 SEX RATIO AND NATIVITY OF CHINESE IN CANADA, 1881-1981
Married life in separation
TABLE 4.3 MARITAL STATUS BY SEX, FOR CHINESE IN CANADA15 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER, 1941-71
TABLE 4.4 ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF FAMILY TYPES AMONG CHINESE IN CANADA, 1941-71
The delay of a second generation
The family and labour reproduction
5 Community Organizations and Social Life
The emergence of Chinese social organizations
The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
The proliferation of Chinese organizations and their politics
Social life and vice activities in Chinatowns
III THE EMERGENCE OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY AFTER THE WAR
6 Chinese Immigration to Canada
The enfranchisement of the Chinese
Changes in Canadian immigration policy
Characteristics of post-war Chinese immigrants
TABLE 6.1 CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED TO CANADA, 1949-55
TABLE 6.2 AGE COMPOSITION OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED TO CANADA, 1956-84
TABLE 6.3 SEX RATIO (MALES PER 100 FEMALES) OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED TO CANADA, 1956-84
TABLE 6.4 INTENDED OCCUPATION OF CHINESE IMMIGRANTS DESTINED TO THE CANADIAN LABOUR FORCE, 1954-84
7 Contemporary Chinese-Canadians
Social and demographic characteristics
TABLE 7.1 DISTRIBUTION OF CHINESE-CANADIANS BY PROVINCES, 1981
TABLE 7.2 PERIOD OF IMMIGRATION TO CANADA FOR CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1971, 1981
TABLE 7.3 AGE COMPOSITION OF FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE-BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1971, 1981
Linguistic characteristics
TABLE 7.4 MOTHER TONGUE AND LANGUAGE MOST OFTEN SPOKEN AT HOME, FOR CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1981
TABLE 7.5 OFFICIAL BILINGUALISM AMONG FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE-BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS, 1981
The contemporary Chinese-Canadian family
TABLE 7.6 TYPES OF HOUSEHOLD FOR CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS, 1981
Changing characteristics of the Chinese-Canadian community
8 Social Mobility and Inequality
Social mobility
TABLE 8.1 OCCUPATIONS OF CHINESE IN THE EMPLOYED LABOUR FORCE OF CANADA, 15 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER, 1971, 1981
TABLE 8.2 LEVEL OF SCHOOLING FOR FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS, 15 YEARS OF AGE AND OVER, 1981
TABLE 8.3 OCCUPAT IONS OF FOREIGN-BORN AND NATIVE-BORN CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS, 1981
Structural forces of social mobility
The cost of being Chinese in the Canadian labour market
TABLE 8.4 GROSS AND NET EFFECTS OF ETHNIC ORIGIN ON ANNUAL EARNINGS
TABLE 8.5 DISTRIBUTION OF CHINESE-CANADIANS AND OTHER CANADIANS IN PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATIONS, 1981
The future of the Chinese in Canada
9 Race and Culture
Myth and reality of race
Limitations of the transplanted cultural thesis
The assimilationist bias and the multicultural myth
Concluding remarks
Notes
Introduction
1: Chinese Emigration
2: Racism Against The Chinese
3: Occupations and Ethnic Business
4: Marriage and the Family
5: Community Organizations and Social Life
6: Chinese Immigration to Canada
7: Contemporary Chinese-Canadians
8: Social Mobility and Inequality
9: Race and Culture
References
Public documents
CANADA
U.S.
Books and Articles
Author Index
Subject Index
Back Cover
