Gim Wong the Song

Georgia Straight: "Best of Vancouver"
September 22, 2005

Gutsiest ride against racism

In a city saturated with bubble-tea houses and conversations in Cantonese, it's easy to overlook the fact that this country once employed legislated discrimination against Asians. But what's even more surprising is the lack of resolution to the Chinese head-tax issue. It's particularly unjust for a country that invited more than 10,000 Chinese immigrants to help build the Canadian Pacific railroad, and then, when the project was completed, turned around and slapped a $50 head tax on all Chinese Canadians. The tax was subsequently raised to $100 in 1900, then $500 in 1903. As if that wasn't enough, the Chinese Immigration (Exclusion) Act came into effect from 1923 to 1947. The act restricted the flow of Chinese immigrants, thereby stifling the growth of Chinese Canadian communities, fracturing families, and creating economic and emotional hardships.

The Chinese Canadian National Council has fought for redress for more than 20 years and garnered support from the likes of Pierre Burton and United Nations special rapporteur on racism and xenophobia Doudou Diene. Yet while Japanese Canadians interned during the Second World War received redress in 1988 and even Ukrainian Canadians interned during the First World War received theirs on August 24 of this year, Chinese Canadian head-tax payers, of which only a handful are still living, remain uncompensated.

Enter 83-year-old Vancouverite Gim Wong, a Second World War Air Force veteran and Canadian-born son of two Chinese head-tax payers. Last year on July 1, Wong did a trial run on his motorcycle to Craigellachie, B.C. This year, he left Mile 0 at Beacon Hill Park in Victoria in June on a cross-country ride to raise awareness, promote support, and take a petition asking Ottawa to compensate Chinese-Canadians for the $23 million collected from head-tax payers by paying $21,000 to each survivor and by starting a compensation negotiation process for descendents. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Paul Martin has not responded to requests from the CCNC to discuss the issue. Nevertheless, the tenacious Wong did complete his long journey in Montreal on July 5, and will be honoured at the tenth anniversary party for Asian Canadian magazine Rice Paper here in Vancouver on September 24.

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Gim Wong arrivved in Ottwa and was invted to the Canada Day events on Parliament. He was detained by security detail when approaching the Prime Minister to discuss redress.




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Gim Wong the Song

Words: Sean Gun
Music: Sean Gunn and Running Dog Lackeys (Wayne Soon/Keegan Chen)
Video: Elwin Xie, Fanna Yee, Sean Gunn
Footage: Saltwater City Television Collective/Nugget Peaksters' Collection/Sid Tan Videography

Category:

Music

Tags:

• chinese
• head
• tax
• exclusion
• redress
• gim
• wong
• rights
• equality
• justice
• honour

[hwangcompany]

I would love to ride with him. Is he still riding?

[chesterlott821]

Your vid is popular on Sri Lanka

[timothymanzella]

This is a "maniacal" video. =p

[MrTolson6]

i met this guy in ladner hes awsome