From collection to community: access as power
Friday May 24, 2024
From 12:00pm to 12:30pm
Document
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) holds vast records documenting the federal government's control over Chinese immigration and, by extension, the Chinese Canadian community from the late-19th century through to 1967 when Canada finally shed its race-based immigration policy. Many Chinese immigration records remain restricted; those that are open have limited online access through LAC and/or its external partners and collaborators.
Ahead of the 100-year commemoration of the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, LAC was fortunate to work with community members to open and ensure digital access to records key to understanding the Acts impacts on Chinese Canadians and their sense of belonging in the country that persist today. Ongoing work has focused on enhancing access to these records valuable to family genealogy, through optimized experiences for requesting, accessing and obtaining required records.
LAC is committed to continue improving access to documentary heritage related to Chinese immigration, regulations, and controls through better descriptions and research supports. Efforts to build lasting connections, however, must centre a reparative approach as a guiding principle and also in concrete actions.
The presenters will share past and planned actions related to these records as reparative archival work and opportunities for institutional growth, specifically, how LAC can respond to the needs of communities, improving service delivery and access to records. This partnership has been a catalyst for building stronger and more meaningful relationships with communities seeking access to records about them in LAC holdings.
Speakers
Chinese Canadian Archivist
The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act