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IMMIGRATION  What is immigration, migration, and emigration? Why do you think that people might choose to leave their home? How does immigration enhance our country and our communities? We should probably start with defining some words. According to the Oxford Dictionary: Immigration- to settle in a foreign country. Migration- to move from one place to another, often related to moves based on seasonal changes. Emigrate- to leave one country to live in another. 
People leave their countries of origin for many reasons. Many of the early settlements grew from the gold rushes which periodically swept through the western region of North America. This means that some settlements were built on rumour and failed to thrive. But people came from other parts of Canada and the USA, from Europe and the rest of the world, based on a dream of a new and better life. Vancouver in the early days was full of the lure of profit. The untapped resources, minerals and lumber, brought men, with capital, who built businesses in the wilderness. The mills, mines and later, the factories that those men built provided jobs for hundreds of men. The men working in the factories drew additional people to provide for them.  Of course, I, Gassy Jack, am Vancouver's most famous immigrant. I had a dream: a saloon where all the workers at Hastings Mill would come to drink, eat, and have a good time. There is a rumour that I made all my customers leave at 10 p.m. so they would be fresh for work in the morning. If I hadn't, those drunkards would have lost their jobs, and would have been unable to buy any more drinks! 
I faced building a business from scratch when I came to Vancouver but other immigrants faced many more challenges. One of the biggest problems was racism. Some people believed white people were superior to the Chinese, the East Indians and other non-white settlers. People from different cultures faced unfair hiring practices, lower wages, and poor treatment. 
Legislation, as well as ill treatment, blocked the immigration of many groups. In 1912, the Komogata Maru attempted to bring a boat-load of immigrants from India to Vancouver. Because they had stopped in Hong Kong, the people were not allowed to disembark. After staying in Vancouver Harbour for two months, the boat returned to India, still full. The Chinese faced head taxes, and the Japanese, internment, during the Second World War. 
Many white settlers faced problems during the First and Second World Wars. This was a time when anyone of non-British or non-Canadian descent was suspect. The Roeddes, as German-speaking Canadians, were ostracized by neighbours despite the fact that their son was in the Canadian military. In fact, Matilda's British passport saved them from being trapped in Germany at the outbreak of World War I. Gustav hired a Canadian-born spokesperson so that his own background would not cause a decline in business during the war years.
 Click here for full lesson plan of this activity.
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