BC is too cold
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“Many whites concluded that these newcomers from tropical or semitropical regions were quite unsuited for life in British Columbia’s more rigorous climate” (Ward, 82). This argument from white officials about British Columbia being too cold for Indians, which made them “unsuited” for the country and thus was a reason to prevent their immigration “out of charity to themselves” (Ward, 83), really caught my attention. This claim was commonly accepted in West Coast communities and gives insights into white people’s racism toward Indians in BC.
First, as Ward states, it shows a form of orientalism as people shared a common image of Indians coming from tropical, exotic places with light oriental clothing. Thus, they wouldn’t be able to survive in the northern weather of Canada.
Second, this illustrates the hypocrisy of white people in adopting a positivist approach, claiming that their decisions are made for the benefit of all since they have superior knowledge on everything while it is really to meet their anti-immigration/ racist agenda. Several newspapers and even politicians have argued that they had respect for East Indians but that they should stay where they belong because they won’t be able to assimilate in Canada. They probably used this argument as a cover for racism to sustain imperial ties and avert unrest in India, as they avoided explicit discrimination (Ward, 86).
Third, this argument disguises entrenched racial hostility and fears that echo racism faced by Chinese migrants. They express their fear of being replaced by an influx of Indian immigrants that would be a threat to their civilization and BC’s “white destiny.”(ibid, 83). They believed that since Indians wouldn’t be able to assimilate, they would preserve their own culture, which would eventually overshadow their poor white one.
Overall, I found this argument of British Columbia being too cold for Indians a good reflection of many underlying racist approaches in the white Canadian discourse.