Continue to fight for "One Certificate One Claim" Head Tax Families Society of Canada pray to Kwan Kung for support
Sing tao Daily News Paper January 24, 2010
On Saturday, January 23, the Head Tax Families Society of Canada (hereinafter called the Society) held its Annual General Meeting at Quan Lung Sai Tong Association in Vancouver Chinatown. The Society indicated that they would continue to act and to fulfill the wish of the head tax families who are excluded from the 2006 compensation.
During the AGM two community history education programs were announced. The purpose of the programs is to educate the younger generations on the Chinese Head Tax and the "Chinese Exclusion Act". These Head Tax documentaries will be broadcast in the middle of the year.
Prior to the AGM the Society and its member held an "honour Kwan Kung" ceremony. At the same time asked their ancestors for strength and support the in their ongoing strive for a justice head tax redress.
During his speech the Society’s chairman, Sid Tan, accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper used the head tax redress for publicity and garnered votes during the election campaign; but discarded the Head Tax families once achieved his political goal.
Sid Tan stated that, as at the end of July last year, only 785 head tax families had received the $20,000 ex-gratia payments. The Society will continue to strive for a "One certificate one claim" which means each and every head tax payer family is entitle to compensation.
It was also announced that Simon Fraser University and S. U. C. C. E. S. S. recipients of the federal Community History Education Fund will cooperation in the production of a head tax documentary. Later in the year both, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Fair Child Television, will telecast this documentary. The documentary will be available to the secondary schools for use as social justice teaching materials.
The University of British Columbia (UBC) Department of History, another recipient of the federal Community History Education Fund, is using the fund for a two-year project of oral head tax history. UBC Associate Professor of History, Dr. Yu Quanyi (Dr. Henry Yu) who is a fourth-generation Chinese-Canadian, will head this project. Professor Yu and his graduated students will record oral accounts of Head Tax family members along with the Head Tax records. This material will be readily available online and give everybody a clear understanding of the head tax, its history and impacts.
Sid Tan re-elected as Chairman of Head Tax Families Society of Canada
Ming Pao Daily Newspaper January 24, 2010
Yesterday the Head Tax Families Society of Canada gathered at the Quan Lung Sai Tong Association in Vancouver Chinatown and elected a new executive council.
Sid Tan was re-elected as chairman. Sid and more than 50 Head Tax redress supporters took part in a traditional ceremony honouring Kwan Kung to ask for strength and guidance in their quest for a justice redress for all Head tax victims and families.
Sid Tan said that although the Government of Canada, three years ago, had officially apologised to Chinese Head Tax payers and families. It was, however, a charade or show. The current government does not want to go forward and bring it to a justice conclusion by offering a specific compensation scheme. The lack of good faith on the government’s part is an insult to the Head Tax families.
UBC Associate Professor of History, Dr. Yu Quanyi (Dr. Henry Yu) said his ancestors were Head tax victims also. They, like their contemporaries, sailed across the ocean, made tremendous contributions to the construction of Canada, and endured racial discrimination. This sorrowful and tragic page of Canadian history greatly pains the hearts of Professor Yu and other Head Tax family members .
He said as a scholar he advocates that Canada should thoroughly reviews its history the sincerely and effective apologises to the discriminated ethnics for their sufferings and unfair treatments. Canada should serve as a model to eradicate racial discrimination and conflicts which are not conducive to society’s developments.
Also present was a filming crew from Simon Fraser University. They are producing a visual documentary on the history of head tax. Portion of the documentary will include the ethnic Chinese head tax. It is estimated the documentary will be publish during the first half of this year. It’ll be available to nearly one hundred local secondary schools and educated about this "stain" in Canada's history.
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