Manitoba adopts ‘language test’

In 1901, Manitoba passes An Act respecting Elections of Members of the Legislative Assembly that disqualifies people as voters if they fail tough residency requirements, unless they are able to pass a language test in a selected European language.

Section 17 (e) of the Act, “disqualifies ‘any person not a British subject by birth who has not resided in some portion of the Dominion of Canada for at least seven years . . . unless such person is able to read any selected portion of ‘The Manitoba Act’ in one of the following languages, that is to say, English, French, German, Icelandic or any Scandinavian language . . .”

The Act affected not only many Chinese, but also immigrants of Polish, Russian and Ukrainian origin. An amendment in 1904 removed the language test.

White Women’s Labour Protection Act

Commonly known as the White Women’s Labour Protection Act, this Saskatchewan law makes it a criminal offence for Chinese men to employ white women. The act was aimed at hindering Asian operators of businesses who were in competition with white proprietors. Initially, the law targeted all Asians but was amended in 1913 to target only Chinese.

Section 1 of the Act states: “No person shall employ in any capacity any white women or girl or permit any white woman or girl to reside or lodge in or to work in or, save as a bona fide customer in a public apartment thereof only, to frequent any restaurant, laundry or other place of business or amusement owned, kept or managed by any Japanese, Chinaman or other Oriental person.”

Other provinces, including Manitoba and Ontario, considered similar legislation.