Burnaby apologizes for decades of discrimination against people of Chinese descent

The City of Burnaby has formally apologized for historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent, acknowledging more than 50 years of racist municipal policies that restricted voting rights, land ownership, employment and business opportunities.

The apology was delivered during a special meeting of council on Saturday, accompanied by a vote to repeal three discriminatory bylaws that had remained on the books despite no longer being enforced.

Mayor Mike Hurley said Burnaby is taking responsibility for the racism and exclusion perpetuated by its former governments between 1892 and 1947. “Our actions made life harder for them and for all community members of Chinese descent. For that, we are deeply sorry today,” he said in remarks at the meeting.

Members of Burnaby’s Chinese Canadian community attended the ceremony, including Alfred Wu, a third-generation Burnaby resident whose grandfather immigrated to Canada in 1910.

Wu said the apology marked an emotional milestone for families whose relatives endured discrimination.

“Today was closure,” Wu told reporters. “Burnaby recognized historical discrimination against people of Chinese descent. We have long reconciled the fact that there was discrimination, and we lived with it. We earned our place in Canada through the hard work of our forefathers.”

Wu said his grandfather paid the Chinese head tax and struggled in a time of exclusion, yet chose Canada as home. “His bones were never shipped back to his village, and therefore, he adopted Canada as his home. To me, that’s so meaningful,” he said.

Hurley said the ceremony was emotional for him as well. “When I looked down at those families, I had a hard time keeping it together,” he told reporters afterward. “They’ve endured so much and stayed positive through everything.”

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As part of the apology, the city committed to a series of actions, including promoting awareness of Chinese Canadian contributions to Burnaby’s history, providing cultural competency training to city staff and offering community safety programs in Chinese languages.

The acknowledgment follows a two-year historical review and extensive engagement process conducted in English, Cantonese and Mandarin in partnership with the Burnaby Intercultural Planning Table.

The final report documented discriminatory bylaws and practices, including a law that barred Burnaby from hiring workers of Chinese and Japanese descent, as well as policies that made it difficult for Chinese residents to own land or operate businesses.

Hurley said the apology is not symbolic alone, but a promise to ensure the city’s past is not repeated. “Today, we commit to action,” he said.

— With files from The Canadian Press

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