My Mother's Secret Was Canada's Secret.

The article focuses on the impact of the Chinese Immigration Act, 1923—commonly known as the Chinese Exclusion Act—on Chinese Canadians, as revealed through the personal documents of the author's mother. This legislation required all persons of Chinese origin or descent in Canada to register with the government, effectively marking Canadian-born Chinese as "other" and subjecting them to systemic discrimination, including restrictions on immigration, voting rights, and professional opportunities. The act's enforcement and related policies contributed to the marginalization of Chinese Canadians until the Canadian Citizenship Act of 1947 granted them full citizenship rights. The article highlights how these historical laws shaped individual lives and underscores the importance of remembering these stories amid ongoing patterns of racial exclusion.