In 1914, Canada was a very British society with anti-Asian attitudes. Although Great Britain had declared that all people from India were officially British citizens and could live anywhere in the British
Commonwealth, Canada refused to accept them. This racist policy was challenged by Gurdit Singh, a Sikh businessman, who chartered a ship, the Komagata Maru, and sailed to Vancouver with over 300 fellow Indians wishing to immigrate to Canada. They were turned back, tragically.
Over the years, the Canadian government gradually changed its immigration policies, first allowing entry to wives and children of Indian immigrants and later to many more immigrants from India. The Indo-Canadian community has grown throughout Canada, especially in British Columbia. Many in the community continue to celebrate their Indian heritage which enriches Canadian culture.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1: Leaving India
Early India British India Leaving Home Coming to Canada
Chapter 2: Indo-Canadians in British Columbia 1900–1917
Working Life Indo-Canadian Life
Chapter 3: Unwelcome in Canada
Asian Immigrants Not Wanted Roadblocks to Immigration Activism on the Rise
Chapter 4: The Komagata Maru
Gurdit Singh Sets Sail Docking in Canada Hungry and Restless The Court's Verdict Forced to Leave
Chapter 5: After the Komagata Maru
A Violent Outcome Families Reunite Independence for India A New Immigration Policy More Refugees Arrive Political Activity in the Indo-Canadian Community New Generations of Indo-Canadians
Chapter 6: Acknowledging the Past
Fighting for Apology and Redress Permanent Acknowledgements
Timeline
Glossary
For Further Reading
Visual Credits
Index
"An engaging read for tweens and teens, presenting an honest picture of Canadian history and the struggles of the Indo-Canadian community."
- CCBC Best Books for Kids and Teens 2014
The Komagata Maru does an excellent job of telling a regrettable story of injustice and government-legislated controls of immigration . . . this book tells much of the story through presentation of a truly impressive collection of images, visual material, and video clips: the colour and black and white photos and the facsimiles of personal and government documents are richly captioned and hugely informative. A most useful work, both as a source of information on the history of Indian immigration to Canada and of systemic discrimination, enacted by the government of Canada, based purely on ethnic intolerance. Highly Recommended.
- Joanne Peters, CM: Canadian Review of Materials
Customer Reviews:
Publication Details:
Binding: Hardback, 104 pages Publication Date: 9th May 2014 ISBN: 9781459404373 Format: 11in x 9in
300 colour and b&w visuals
