The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act
July 1, 2023
–
January 5, 2025
Vancouver
Paper Trail Documentaries:
“Remembering Chinese Bachelors”
“Stories of Repeal and Reunion”
An exhibition that commemorates 100 years since the passing of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, known also as the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada.
The exhibition features hundreds of certificates of identity documents (C.I. certificates) used to track Chinese Canadians during the Chinese Immigration Act – the most ever publicly displayed in an exhibition. The papers also were a constant reminder of a second-class status in Canada.
In partnership with the Chinese Canadian Military Museum and curated by Catherine Clement, this community-sourced exhibition, with a national focus, probes the nature of paperwork and documentation over the contested terrain of history, with a diverse array of families of Chinese descent, from across Canada contributing to the exhibition.
Curator: Catherine Clement
Exhibition Supporters:
![]}](https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/CCM_Paper_Trail_sneak-1134.png)
C.I. Certificates – special identity documents issued by the government to Chinese residents.
![]}](https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/wingsangresearchroompage.png)
Research Room
Looking to find your family’s own paper trail? The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act’s museum assistant, Huabin Zhou, will be providing research assistance through the Research Room.
Assistance includes:
Help find and interpret Chinese Immigration (C.I.) Certificates
Explore digital archival materials
Assist in researching Chinese Canadian history
To contact for service outside of office hours, email huabin.zhou@chinesecanadianmuseum.ca.
-
Momentum: Power and Identity in Sports
Momentum: Power and Identity in Sports is an interactive exhibition tracing over a century of Chinese Canadian participation in sport, exploring how sport and fandom shape conversations around identity, representation, and…
-
Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000
From soaring ballads to pop idols, this immersive exhibition explores how Canada played a surprising but vital role in shaping a cultural phenomenon.
-
A Soldier for All Seasons
Marking 80 years since the end of the Second World War — the largest conflict in human history — this exhibition highlights the experiences of Chinese Canadians on the battlefronts.
