加拿大就华人“人头税”道歉.pptVIP

* Background: As we know, China used to be a very weak country about 100 years ago. At that time, many Chinese went abroad to look for better jobs in order to support their families. But what was their lives like? In the following 5 or more minutes, we will listen to a speech coming from the former president of Canada. Listen carefully, and think about the reasons that contribute to the change of their attitude to Chinese Canadians. The speech Harper: I speak, of course, of the Head Tax that was imposed to Chinese immigrants to this country as well as the other restrictive measures that followed. These Chinese immigrants made the difficult decision to leave their families behind in order to pursue opportunities in a country half way around the world they called, “Gold Mountain”. Beginning in 1881, over 15,000 of these Chinese pioneers became involved in the most important nation-building enterprise in Canadian history, the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The conditions, under which these men worked, were at best harsh and, at times impossible. Tragically, some 1,000 Chinese laborers died during the building of the CPR. But, in spite of it all, these Chinese immigrants persevered and, in doing so, helped to ensure the future of the country. But from the moment the railway was completed, Canada turned its back on these men. Beginning with the Chinese immigrants act of 1885.a head tax of $50.00 was imposed on Chinese newcomers in an attempt to deter immigration. The government of Canada recognizes the stigma of exclusion(排挤)experienced by the Chinese as a result. We acknowledge the high cost of the Head Tax meant that many family members were left behind in China, never to be reunited or that families lived apart, in some cases in extreme poverty for years. We also recognize that our failure to truly acknowledge these historical injustices has prevented many in the community from seeing themselves as fully Canadian. On beh