But I will say this: My great uncle paid the Chinese head tax that was imposed on Chinese immigrants in the early 1900's when they stepped onto Canadian soil. It was $500.00 which was alot of money in those days.

Same immigration law was in effect in the U.S. at the same time for the Chinese entering the U.S. there as well. The purpose of the head tax was to reduce probability of the "heathens" who might pollute North America..or keep out the Chinese. Already the Chinese men were released from their labour for building the national railroads in North America..

My maternal and paternal great grandfathers did work for a few years in Chinese laundries and restaurants in the U.S. but returned to China several times, where they eventually died. The immigration laws in both U.S. and Canada did not permit Chinese men to bring their Chinese wives. Again fear of overpopulating these countries with heathens.

The federal laws were changed in 1950's ...and so my mother came as a picture bride, as part of the staring wave.