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