Immigration and Nativism

1. Immigration and Nativism Reluctant Hosts The Immigration Boom Reception in the Promised Land Wartime Nativism Canadianization in the 1920s

2. Immigration and Nativism • Between the 1880 and 1920’s a wavy of immigration made its way to North American. Immigrants mainly landed in California and British Columbia. Most of these immigrants came from Europe, however, there was also a flow of immigrants from Asia. • However, until 1896 most immigrants and Canadians were going to American because of the lure of the “promise land”. In the late 1890’s four things caused people to stay in Canada and attract immigrants: • return of world prosperity • Discovery of gold in the Yukon • Gradual closing of the American frontier to settlement • Canada’s first massive immigration promotional campaign

3. Immigration and Nativism • People were immigrating to Canada because of hardships in Europe, for example: • Overcrowding on small plots of land • Relief from heavy land taxes • Freedom from political harassment • Compulsory military service • Freedom from religious persecution

4. Reluctant Hosts • When immigrants finally hit the shores of Canada they were not always welcomed. Many people in Canada felt that people who immigrated to our shores should conform to the cultures and institutions of the Canadian society. If they seemed unwilling or unable to conform, her or she should be excluded. The historian Howard Palmer termed this attitude “Anglo-conformity”. • Just like in America some immigrants were looked on as more desirable then others. For example; British immigrants were considered the most desirable where eastern Europeans were not welcomed in many places.

5. Nativism • Canada’s immigration boom took place between 1869 to 1914. Immigrants to Canada between 1896 and the mid-1920s were often greeted with distrust and suspicion. • These ideals were labeled as Nativism – intense opposition to internal minority groups because of their “foreign” connection.

6. The Immigration Boom • Because of immigration Canada’s population went from 5.4 million to 10.4 million between 1896 and World War I. These are similar numbers that America saw in pervious decades. • 250 000 Britain • 1 Million from the U.S • Thousands from continental Europe Most of these workers found their way into railway camps, mines, and factories.

7. What Happened Why The Arrived? • When immigrants came to Canada via ship they landed in either Halifax or Quebec. They would be processed through immigration sheds (“cattle pens”) and medical officers inspected their health. Then they would be put on trains and sent to all corners of the country. • Many often arrived via railway from Minnesota and Iowa and by covered wagons from Utah and Idaho.

8. Immigrant Women • When single women also immigrated to Canada from Britain. Most went to Ontario, but some went out West. • In the 1870’s a campaign started to sponsor single women to come to Canada in response to the so-called “servant problem”. Many women born in Canada refused to do domestic work and migrated to the factors retail, and clerical work. • However, as time progressed many of the single women abandoned domestic service to work in lumber camps, run boarding house or work in restaurants.

9. West Coast Immigration: Asians • Asian immigration into Canada had always been, and continued to be, essentially a West Coast phenomenon. • 1881 there were 4400 Asians • 1881-1884 brought 15 700 more This boom was because CPR brought in works to help build the railroad. When that was finished CPR released the workers, and held no responsibility of the workers; neither did the government • 1907 23 700 Asians were in Canada Most Asians settled in B.C where they made up 11 percent of the population.

10. West Coast Immigration: Asians • Economic expansion in the early 1900s, created a new demand for industrial laborers and spurred a fresh infusion Chinese, Japanese, and East Indian immigrants. • Here are some numbers for the 1900s • 1904-1905 400 migrated to Canada • 1907-1908 12 000 • 1912-1913 7500 In 1903 the government imposed a head takes on every Chinese immigrant; they had to pay 500$ per person in order to enter Canada. Even still they continued to immigrate. Wealthy businessmen would pay workers head tax, and employed them as domestics, waitresses, and even prostitutes.

11. The Wheat Boom - Opening of the West • As the depression started lifting markets began opening up around the world including the U.S and Europe. Staple products were in demand like wheat. With falling transportation cost, and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) wheat was easily shipped to where the demand was the highest. • The Canadian Prairies were ideal for growing wheat which its fertile lands, and most of it unsettled many European famers and American famers headed for the Prairies.

12. Reception In The Promised Land With such an influxes of immigrants coming into Canada, Anglo-Canadians were faced with the decision on how to accept the immigrants into their country. Some looked to the American “melting-pot” idea which basically meant that because America was a new country with a new identity people coming into America should confirm to their culture and institutions. Most Canadians felt that because so many immigrants were coming to Canada that they were becoming a country made up of people from all over the world, and the Canadian identity would be lost. Especially when it came to the French-Canadians.

13. Reception In The Promised Land We have already discussed how there was an “ethnic pecking order” for immigrants at this time. British, American, western Europeans and Scandinavians were consider desirable. However, eastern Europeans, Asians, and three particular religious sects – Mennonites, Hutterites, and Doukhobors were not desirable because they were seen as “unmeltable”. Because of their “unmeltable” characteristics they suffered from racism and discrimination, along with the usual pressures for conformity to Anglo-Canadian ways. Negative feelings towards American blacks ran so deep that they were systematically barred from entering Canada.

14. Open Door Vs. Selective Immigration Open immigration was strongly supported by most industrialist and businesspeople because of the demand for laborers and immigrants were willing to work for low wages and in harsh working conditions. However, few Canadians actually endorsed such an open-door policy. Selective Immigration meant that certain immigrants who were considered “unmeltable” would not let into the country. In 1905 Frank Oliver became Minister of the Interior and adopted the idea of Selective Immigration and bared blacks and Jews from the country because he felt they were “unmeltable”. Yet, even the selective immigration measures undertaken by Oliver did little to dampen the flood of newcomers at the height of the boom.

15. Some Discussions between Anglo-Canadians over immigrants who were white primarily was about how they could assimilate them into Anglo-Canadian culture. However, discussions about non-white immigrants such as Asians and blacks was how they could keep them out of Canada. The KomagataMaru Incident – In May 1914 the Japanese-registered immigrant ship, the KomagataMaru, tried to port in Vancouver with 376 East Indians. They were not allowed to port and they anchored offshore for over two months hoping to be allowed to port. Robert Borden’s Conservative government ordered the Canadian navy to escort the ship back out to sea.

16. Wartime Nativism and the “Radical Alien” Scare • The outbreak of World War I in August 1914 brought dramatic changes in public attitudes toward immigrants and ethnic minorities. The Germans, who formerly had been regarded as among Canada’s most desirable immigrant groups, almost overnight became the most undesirable. • People who were “suspicious” were fired from their jobs and place under police surveillance. Churches, schools, and news papers where shut down. Any news papers that were allowed to stay open were ordered to only print in English. • The Ontario city names Berlin was renamed to Kitchener because of anti-Germany ideals.

17. Many German-Canadian business, houses, and community centers were subject to violent acts. • In Calgary, where they had the largest German population in Canada, mobs of 500-1500 soldiers and civilians went on a rampage for two consecutive nights in February 1916, completely wrecking a German-owned restaurant and a hotel in the German-speaking district. • Government policy toward “enemy aliens” was as much a response to public pressure as an attempt to provide for Canada’s security. Each enemy alien was required to register with a local magistrate, to report on a monthly basis, and to turn in all his or her firearms. Those declared “dangerous enemy aliens” after October 1914 were removed from cities and mining camps and placed in internment camps. Over 8000 aliens were internet. With all these aliens fired from their jobs there was a worker shortage.

18. Canadianization in the 1920’s • Attitudes toward immigrants in Canada during the early 1920s differed markedly from those in the United States. Between 1920 and 1924 there was an upsurge of nativism ferment across America, best exemplified by the rise of the KuKlux Klan, which harassed balics, Jews, Roman Catholics, and everyone it considered “dangerous” and “un-American”. • Unlike the American parent organization, which espoused Americanism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism, the Canadian offshoot emphasized anti-Catholicism and moral attitudes.

19. Klan leaders found their most fertile ground in Saskatchewan durin1927 and went from 50 members to over 15 000. Evern though the Klan did not get any support from the government, Jimmy Gardiner was PM, membership still reached 20 000 at its peak in 1928. • The growth of the Klan in Canada seemed, on the surface, to be an expression of American cultural attitudes. Yet the principal KKK organizers in Saskatchewan and Alberta both came from predominantly anti-Catholic, rural Ontario. Like most major social and institutional forces in western Canada during the 1920s, the KKK reflected cross-influences from Britain, Ontario, and the United States, the West's three main sources of immigration.

20. Homework Read pages 86-93 Answer Questions: 1, 4, 5, 6 (pass in) Read Assessing Historical Interpretations Be prepared to discuss all of this information next class. Terms and Concepts The immigration boom Nativism “Servant problem” Melting pot Mosaic Selective immigration 44