It has been one hundred years since Canada introduced the Chinese Exclusion Act. The legislation locked the doors on immigration, based solely on country of origin. It was a dark chapter that isolated men from their wives and children who were living in China. 

The Paper Trail to the Chinese Exclusion Act is a compelling and deeply personal exhibition at the new Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown. Curated by Catherine Clement, it took four years to gather identity cards and family stories from across the country. The BC Historical Federation’s Mark Forsythe joined Catherine to learn more about the genesis of the project and what it reveals about our shared history. Produced by our video wizard Elwin Xie.