Asian Canadians

Asian Canadians refers to Canadians who can trace their ancestry back to the continent of Asia or Asian peoples. Canadians of Asian ancestry comprise the largest visible minority group in Canada, at 15% of the Canadian population, and is the fastest growing. Most Asian Canadians are concentrated in the urban areas of Southern Ontario, the Greater Vancouver area, Calgary, and other large Canadian cities. In Canada, the term 'Asian' is pan-continental in official data such as the national census, in contrast to its usage in other English-speaking countries such as Australia, the UK and US.

History

Canada has a long history of East Asian immigration. During the 19th century, many Chinese arrived to take part in the British Columbia gold rushes and later for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Chinese who came from Guangdong Province helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway through the Fraser Canyon. Many Japanese people arrived in the 1890s and became fishermen and merchants in British Columbia. In 1923, the federal government passed the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, which banned all Chinese immigration, and led to immigration restrictions for all East Asians. In 1947, the act was repealed.