The Oriental Question: Consolidating a White Man's Province, 1914-41

by Patricia E. Roy

The sequel to her 1989 groundbreaking work, A White Man's Province: British Columbia Politicians and Chinese and Japanese Immigrants, 1858-1914, Patricia E. Roy's latest book, The Oriental Question: Consolidating a White Man's Province, 1914-41, continues her study into why British Columbians - and many Canadians from outside the province - were historically so opposed to Asian immigration. Drawing on contemporary press and government reports, as well as the correspondence and memoirs of individuals, Roy shows how, from 1914 to 1941, British Columbians consolidated a "white man's province" by securing a virtual end to Asian immigration and placing stringent legal restrictions on Asian competition in the majoy industries of lumber and fishing. While its emphasis is on political action and politicians, the book also examines the popular pressure for such practices and gives some attention to the reactions of those most affected: the province's Chinese and Japanese residents.

The Oriental Question is a critical investigation of a troubling period in Canadian history. It will be of vital interest to scholars of British Columbian and Canadian history and politics, Asian studies, diaspora, ethnicity, and immigration.

344 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003