Chung Collection: Head Tax Payment Certificate
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This is a certificate of payment of head tax by Lee Chew Bin in 1920, from the Canadian Department of the Interior. Due to whit opposition to Chinese immigrants, the Canadian government introduced a head tax for Chinese labourers in 1885. Prejudice against Chinese workers grew as they provided cheaper labour in the railway, forestry and mining industries. Immigration laws raised the head tax for workers to $500 in 1903, and finally, in 1923, prohibited Chinese labourers from entering Canada. The government has since apologized to the Chinese community for the head tax, which accrued more than $23 million before 1923.

This image can be found in the Chung Collection at UBC Library's Rare Books and Special Collections (CC-FOLDR-00715 Box Number, FOLDR-0035).

Courtesy of Rare Books and Special Collections © UBC Library