What kinds of challenges did Punjabi workers in British Columbia and California face from white workers and business owners?
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In British Columbia, Punjabi workers were seen by white labourers as a threat to their jobs and wages. White workers feared that the influx of Punjabis would drive down wages because they were “willing” to accept lower pay for hard labour. The Victoria Trades and Labor Council highlighted this fear, arguing that "cheap Asiatic labour" would exclude white workers from stable employment and undermine their ability to support families. This economic threat fostered hostility toward Punjabis, who were often left with the most difficult, lowest-paying jobs in sectors like logging and railway construction.
In addition to economic challenges, racial prejudice played a major role in the treatment of Punjabis. White workers and officials viewed Punjabis through a lens of racial inferiority. Stereotypes about Punjabis being unclean and physically unsuited for the cold climate of British Columbia were common. W. D. Scott, the federal superintendent of immigration, claimed that Punjabis were “accustomed to the conditions of a tropical climate” and therefore unfit for Canadian life. This view, based on deeply ingrained racism, reinforced the idea that Punjabis were fundamentally different and inferior, further marginalizing them within society. Moreover, this exposes a broader hypocrisy: how can the West label people as “unfit” for a country when it is the very force that caused them to migrate? The West exploited, devastated, and subjected native populations to violence, driving them from their homelands, while simultaneously colonizing lands like Canada and claiming them as their own. What makes the colonizers more "fit" for that land than the very people they displaced, killed, and marginalized? And what gives them the legitimacy to decide who is “fit” or “unfit” to come to a country where Indigenous people of that country in question are still fighting for their land back? Why are they allowed to colonize and profit from violence, while colonized people from elsewhere cannot benefit from the system they created?
In California, Punjabi workers encountered similar challenges. They were also perceived as a threat to white workers in industries like agriculture, where they were “willing” to work for lower wages. This economic tension was compounded by racial prejudice, as they were often grouped with other Asian immigrants and viewed as racially distinct and unassimilable, contributing to their social exclusion.
Finally, both countries implemented discriminatory immigration laws to limit the number of Punjabis entering. In Canada, the 1908 "continuous passage" rule effectively prevented most Punjabis from immigrating, even though they were British subjects. The justification for these laws was often framed as protecting the social fabric and racial homogeneity. One official argued that "it is a great unkindness" to bring Punjabis to Canada due to their cultural differences. These laws also made it difficult for Punjabis already in the country to bring their families, further isolating them.