Chinese Bachelor Societies in Alberta

During the early 20th century, Chinese men far outnumbered Chinese women throughout North America as well as in Alberta. The 1931 Census reveals that in the male-to-female ratio was 12:1 in Calgary and 17:1 in Edmonton.[45] Most of these men were so-called “married bachelors” as they had wives and children in China but lived like single men. This was not out of choice. Rather they were prevented from brining their families to Canada due to restrictive immigration polices.

As of 1885 the federal government began imposing a Head Tax on the Chinese to discourage immigration to Canada. The tax was subsequently increased to $100 in 1900 and $500 in 1903. In the early 20th century $500 was a massive amount of money, representing around two years’ wages for most Chinese workers. As a result, the majority could not afford to bring their family members to Canada. In 1923 the government passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which virtually restricted all immigration from China to Canada for 24 years.

The consequences of these discriminatory policies were drastic. Many Chinese were separated from their wives and children for incredibly long periods. Alberta pioneer Charlie Chew, for example, was prevented from bringing his new wife to Canada during the exclusion period. Around 1930, Chew wrote to the government requesting that an exception be made. “Ottawa refused, so I had to travel all the way to China to have a child,” he recounted. Chew did not see his wife again for another 53 years. [46] Others were never reunited with their loved ones.

While their husbands toiled in Canada, many Chinese wives were left to raise their children alone in China. They experienced starvation, poverty and other forms of hardship. Separated for 15 years before being reunited with his father in Canada, Calgarian Victor Mah recalls how his mother struggled to provide for her two young children in war-torn China.

Unfortunately, we had little land and even though my mother worked hard on the land you can only get so much out of it. So, she had to be a small merchant. She often went away for days with my aunt looking for old clothes and then she would come back and sell them for retail price. Whatever little money you made, that is how we survived in those years. I cannot even think about how my mother’s generation suffered -- there’s no communication for years.[47]

In 1947 the Exclusion Act was finally repealed allowing Chinese men to send for their wives and children in China. As families were reunited, the sex ratio began to balance out in Alberta and across the country. It was not until 1967 however that all immigration restrictions based on race were eliminated–– only then did wholesale reunification begin.