A History of Exclusion: hide this page first/ under useful links

Canada has a long and often overlooked history of racial exclusion, where Indigenous peoples and racialized communities—including Chinese, Japanese, Black, Jewish, Muslim, Ukrainian, Italian, and others—have faced discrimination, surveillance, and even internment under the guise of national security or cultural “incompatibility.” From the Chinese Exclusion Act to internment camps during the World Wars and ongoing Islamophobia and Sinophobia today, these injustices reflect broader patterns of systemic racism that continue to shape Canadian society.

• About the Chinese Exclusion Act

• Exclusion of Chinese Immigrants (1923–1947) National Historic Event

• 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act

• Internment of Japanese Canadians

• Only 5000 Jewish refugees allowed to enter Canada during the 12-year period of the German Nazi regime

• None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933–1948

• The MS St. Louis Incident

• Antisemitism closed Canada’s borders to Jews attempting to flee Nazi persecution

• Racial Segregation of Black People in Canada