CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY: PON GIT CHENG
Christine Welldon
Toronto, Grolier Ltd., 1991. 48pp, cloth, $15.25
Volume 19 Number 3
This beautifully illustrated book tells the little known story of the Chinese immigrant labourers who worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway construction through the Rocky Mountains. It also tells something of the harsh conditions that led them to leave China and of the equally harsh conditions they faced in Canada. The content of the book, its tone and format seem geared to upper elementary students. The reading level, however, is so high that only very able readers will be able to read the book without assistance. On the other hand, while the subject matter is relevant and the reading level suitable for junior and senior high school students, the tone of the book seems too young and there is insufficient detail for high school use. Perhaps the following quotation from the book illustrates the problem: But not all immigrants were greeted in a friendly way by Canadians. Many were made fun of because they had a different language, dress and customs. The Chinese also suffered from additional discrimination. The British Columbia government passed legislative bills which restricted many of their rights ... (including) their right to vote... and as always there was the head tax to be paid by each Chinese immigrant. Recommended with reservations. Irene Gordon, Westdale Junior High School, Winnipeg, Man. |
1971-1979 | 1980-1985 | 1986-1990 | 1991-1995
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