These days, whether in Toronto or Revelstoke of Bristish Colombia, one could sense that the Canadians especially the whites are trying to re-write history of the non-whites and the indigenous Indians. In doing so, they hope to admit the wrongs and injustices inflicted on these minorities during the formative years of Canada.
In Revelstoke, we visited the Railway Museum and gained first hand information about the history of the construction of the Canadian Railway. A fair amount of display is devoted to highlighting the contribution of the Chinese recruited to build the rail line back in the late 1800's. As a Chinese, there was a feeling of indignation when you were confronted with such clear-cut unequal treatment between the Chinese laborers and the non-Chinese laborers. The policies adopted then were clearly against the fundamental human rights that the whites are so fond of preaching these days. I was reminded of the pronouncement of Mao Zedong on 1 October 1949 at Tiananmen when he declared - "The Chinese have finally stood up!". Clearly, this statement has far reaching implication and ramification.
Credit still must be given to the new generation of Canadians who are now prepared to face the truth and to recognize what actually happened in history. Some may doubt the genuineness of this admission in Canada and may think it's more a PR thing considering the need to appear politically correct to face the economic might of the new China. Whatever it is, the changing attitude towards the Chinese is good for all the Chinese stock.
In Malaysia, there is still a long way for the Chinese to be recognized for their rightful historical contribution in nation building and many believe that as long as the same kind of government mentality persists, such openness and admission will never happen as in the case of Canada!
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