Head Tax Families Do Old Fashion “Vote Mob” Gathering
On April 30, 2011, members of Head Tax Families Society of Canada (HTFSC) and supporters called on all eligible Canadians to vote. They also called on all political parties to commit to complete an inclusive just and honourable redress. The hundred strong all ages vote mob, with some seniors in their eighties and nineties, came together using person to person contact, a telephone tree and new media.
Held at Monument to Chinese Railway Workers and War Veterans at Columbia and Keefer in Vancouver’s Chinatown, the vote mob included activist Kat Norris, Coast Salish and Nez Perce of the Indigenous Action Movement extended a welcome to the land and solidarity. New Democrat MP's Libby Davies (Vancouer East) and Don Davies (Vancover Kingsway) and Wendy Yuan, federal Liberal candidate for Vancouver Kingsway, also attended and extended solidarity.
An invitation was made to representatives of the federal Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic and Green Parties. The Conservatives did not respond while the Greens were represented unofficially by one of the organisers, a former civic candidate for the party.
Less that one per cent (785) of the over 82,000 head tax families were eligible under Prime Minister Stephen Harper government’s June 22, 2006 unilaterally imposed settlement. The redress is incomplete for many surviving elderly sons and daughters directly affected by the 62-years (1885-1947) of Chinese head tax and exclusion legislation.
Members and supporters of Head Tax Families Society of Canada are today's Canadians on a twenty-eight year struggle for an inclusive just and honourable redress for affected Chinese pioneer adventurer families.
| Credits | |
| Reporter: | Sid Tan | Music: | Head Tax Family Blues written and performed by Sean Gunn |
| Video: | Shot on a Zoom Q3 Handy Video Recorder by Becca Plucer and Sid Tan |
| Editing: | Sid Tan with AVS Editor on HP dv6622ca laptop, also used to upload |
| Photography: | Eric Dang |