South Asians’ 119 years in Vancouver: Repair and redress of public opinion

Public opinion about migration of South Asians to Vancouver at the turn of the last century (est. 1903) was fraught with racism, discrimination and prejudice. While South Asians saw themselves as British subjects coming to another colony, European settlers saw them only as economic migrants to a “White Canada” with limited rights and responsibilities. Government, media, businesses, organized labour etc. all banded together to create an atmosphere of mistrust, animosity, discrimination and bias in a way that created second class citizenship. From 1907-1947 South Asians fought for the right to vote, to citizenship, to representation, to rightful depiction in the media, to voluntary migration and for Canadian public opinion to change. This hard fought battle continues today, as all Canadians learn about the past and hope to change the future. While much of the world changed after WW II, in Canada South Asian Canadians have found a new and charged voice for the pursuit of social justice. This presentation by Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains looks at the historic arc as a reflection of the present moment through archival images and current actions about public opinion in the Vancouver area.