The Welcome Back Project > Community Art Crawl

INCLUSION/EXCLUSION White Immigration & Oriental Exclusion
INCLUSION/EXCLUSION White Immigration & Oriental Exclusion
Mixed media, burnt matter from Dominion of Canada - Chinese Head Tax Certificate, acrylic paint on welcome mat
23.5 x 35 inches
2022

Artist: Don Kwan
Location: SuzyQ Donuts (Hintonburg)

The image on this welcome mat is from a historic Vancouver newspaper clipping. “The Gatekeepers” by N. Hawkins, printed in the British Columbia Saturday Sunset, August, 24th 1907. This cartoon encouraged the demonization and exclusion of Chinese immigrants and encouraged white immigration into Canada. This anti Asian narrative impacted the lives of early Chinese settlers, including my grandparents' lives. This xenophobic narrative has been documented throughout Canada’s history and over one hundred years later, similar anti Asian sentiments seemed to resurface during the pandemic.

Image: Rémi Thériault