The Oriental Question
Consolidating a White Man's Province, 1914-41
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of British Columbia Press
Published:12th Nov '03
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
A revealing history of the political and public opposition to Asian immigration to British Columbia from 1914 to 1941.
Patricia E. Roy continues her study into why British Columbians were historically so opposed to Asian immigration.
Patricia Roy’s latest book, The Oriental Question, continues her study into why British Columbians – and many Canadians from outside the province – were historically so opposed to Asian immigration. Drawing on contemporary press and government reports and individual correspondence and memoirs, Roy shows how British Columbians consolidated a “white man’s province” from 1914 to 1941 by securing a virtual end to Asian immigration and placing stringent legal restrictions on Asian competition in the major industries of lumber and fishing. While its emphasis is on political action and politicians, the book also examines the popular pressure for such practices and gives some attention to the reactions of those most affected: the province’s Chinese and Japanese residents.
The Oriental Question is a critical investigation of a troubling period in Canadian history. It will be of vital interest to scholars of British Columbian and Canadian history and politics and of Asian, diaspora, ethnicity, and immigration studies.
This complex and meticulous study will reward an attentive reader. It is an admirable contribution to the historiography of British Columbia and Canada. -- Hilary K. Blair * The International History Review *
A finely textured account that convincingly show that while anti-Asian racism was never a monolith, it became consolidated in the image of British Columbia as a “White Man’s province” during this era ... the significance of this work is that, like the earlier volume, it catalogues English-language anti-Asian discourse in British Columbia. As such it is an invaluable reference for students of racism and of British Columbia’s history. -- Timothy J. Stanley, University of Ottawa * Labour/Le Travail, Issue 58, Fall 2005 *
The Oriental Question is a solid empirical work, using government records, contemporary newspapers, memoirs, and secondary literature. It would be a highly usefu monograph for an undergraduate audience, since it brings together a broad range of information in a readable and congently argued style. -- Bonnie Huskins and Michael Boudreau * Canadian Literature, Issue 186, Autumn 2005 *
Roy's careful attention to political contest and compromise gives us a rich portrait of how British Columbia consolidated around white supremacy ... These books are important empirical studies that will ultimately allow us to understand how migration and regional identities are framed in local and global terms. -- Henry Yu, University of British Columbia * Pacific Historical Review, vol. 75, no. 2, 2006 *
- Winner of Patricia E. Roy is the recipient of the Canadian Historical Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for 2013. 2013 (Canada)
ISBN: 9780774810104
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: 580g
344 pages