In one of our blog posts in May, we briefly touched on the Chinese Head Tax, a burdensome imposition on many Chinese Canadians from the 1885 to 1923. This week, we will take a closer look at the life of Chuck Lee, one of the very few Chinese Canadians in Halifax in the early 1900s, and examine how the Head Tax and the subsequent Chinese Exclusion Act shaped the Lee Family. All materials shown in this blog post are available through Open Collections.
The Journey Begins
In 1903, Chuck’s father, Ngoon Lee, decided to journey from China to Canada—a daunting undertaking in those times. Originating from a remote village in China, the Lee family first navigated their way to the bustling ports of Hong Kong. From there, they boarded the Canadian Pacific liner, the Empress of Asia, which was bound for Victoria, B.C.
As noted in “A brief chronology of Chinese Canadian History”, Hong Kong didn’t have an immigration office back then. Consequently, upon arriving in Victoria, passengers were lined up on the wharf and taken to an immigration facility that resembled a prison. Here, they underwent medical examinations and were required to pay the Head Tax, a process that often stretched out over several days or even weeks.
Canadian Pacific steam ship – Empress of Asia
A steerage berthing cards of the Empress of Asia for a passenger named Woo Chow Shim
Life in Canada
Once their immigration papers were cleared, the Lees continued their journey by boat to Vancouver and eventually by train to their final destination, Halifax.
Chuck Lee, reflecting on his family’s experience in an interview at St. Mary’s University International Centre, vividly recalled his father’s payment of a staggering $500 Head Tax for his admission to Canada. Despite the financial challenges, Ngoon Lee managed to establish his own business, first a laundry store on the Bliss Street and later a grocery store.
Photograph of Chuck Lee at the corner of Edward and Bliss Street, taken in 1988
Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act – Forced Separation
While the federal Head Tax imposed significant financial strain on Chinese Canadians, the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act on July 1, 1923, had an even more profound impact by officially prohibiting all Chinese immigration. This legislative measure led to heartbreaking separations within families such as the Lees.
Due to the Act, Chuck’s wife, Sui Fa Kung, was unable to join him in Canada due to the Act, leading to a separation of 15 years. It wasn’t until 1948 that she was finally able to bring their daughter, whom Chuck had never met, to reunite with him.
Wedding portrait of Chuck Lee and Kung Sui Fa wearing traditional Chinese clothing
Portrait of Nancy Lee, daughter of Chuck Lee
The impact of the Exclusion Act extended beyond their eldest daughter to their sons as well. In an interview with RCI Radio, one of Chuck’s sons, Albert, recounted how the Act prevented his father from reuniting with his mother, resulting in him being born much later in their lives. Reflecting on this, Albert noted, “My parents were old enough to be my grandparents because of the Chinese Exclusion Act,”. This underscores how the Chinese Exclusion Act deprived the Lee family of choices and shaped their life significantly.
Photograph of the Lee family gathering for dinner
Through the lens of Lee family’s experiences, we gain insight into the hardships endured by Chinese Canadians across generations as they sought to establish themselves in Canadian society. For more on Chinese Canadian history, feel free to explore through the Chinese Canadian Stories Collection in our open collections!
Thank you for reading.
References:
Albert, L. (n.d.) Reflection by Albert Lee. Our Stories. https://ccncourstories.wordpress.com/our-stories-features/reflections-of-activists/albert-lee/.
Chan, A. (2020). Chinese Head Tax in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chinese-head-tax-in-canada.
Chinese Canadian Heritage Fund. (n.d.). A brief chronology of Chinese Canadian history: from segregation to integration. https://www.sfu.ca/chinese-canadian-history/chart_en.html.
RCI Radio. (2021). 【專訪】攝影師李棣華：“人頭稅、排華法案給我們這一代的生活留下了深刻的印記”[Interviewing Photographer Albert Lee: the significant impact of Head Tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act on our generation]. RCI Radio. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/zh-hant/新闻/1837367/-专访-摄影师李棣华-人头税-排华法案给我们这一代的生活留下了深刻的印记.
