How did the employing practices of Chinese labour contractors lead to prejudice? How did they take advantage of Chinese workers?
The Knights of labour campaigned to have all Chinese removed from Vancouver. The kings would also often force Chinese residents out of town through threats and violence. They also organized a boycott against all businesses that sold goods to Chinese customers. In the urban areas, Chinese immigrants often did heavy manual labour that other British Columbians avoided. Usually, an English-speaking Chinese contractor would bid on a specific job (often land clearing) and would employ a group of Chinese workers. He would pay and house them out of the monies received for the contract, and would keep anything left over as profit. This system ended cheating the Chinese workers.
Have i got it right?
Yep!
That seems to be the plight of all immigrant laborers.
As a slightly connected topic you might want to look up
The tunnels of Moose Jaw
http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&xhr=t&q=tunnels+of+moose+jaw&cp=11&pf=p&sclient=psy&safe=off&source=hp&aq=0&aqi=&aql=&oq=tunnels+of+&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=b875c4152da991c7&biw=1630&bih=944
Thanks:)
You have correctly mentioned the prejudice faced by Chinese immigrants in Vancouver and their mistreatment by labor contractors. Let's delve into more detail about the employing practices of Chinese labor contractors and how they took advantage of Chinese workers.
During that time, Chinese immigrants were often recruited by Chinese labor contractors to work in various industries, particularly in urban areas where they performed physically demanding jobs that others were unwilling to do. These labor contractors would bid on specific jobs, such as land clearing, and if they won the contract, they would employ a group of Chinese workers for the job.
The labor contractors acted as intermediaries between the workers and the employers. They would provide the workers with wages and housing, deducting these expenses from the contract payment they received. The remaining money would be kept by the contractor as profit. In this system, the workers were heavily reliant on the contractor for their livelihoods.
The problem arose when these labor contractors began exploiting the Chinese workers. They would often pay the workers significantly lower wages compared to what they had promised. Additionally, the contractors would sometimes charge them excessive amounts for housing, food, and other necessities, thereby further reducing their take-home pay.
Moreover, the labor contractors had immense control over the workers' lives. They could manipulate the situation by increasing debts owed by the workers and forcing them into continuous labor to repay these debts. This effectively created a cycle of indebtedness and dependency.
These unfair employing practices made the Chinese workers vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. They were subject to long working hours, poor working conditions, and low wages, which significantly diminished their quality of life. As a result, the Chinese workers faced economic hardships and were often trapped in a cycle of poverty.
The unfair treatment and exploitation of Chinese workers by labor contractors contributed to the prejudice against Chinese immigrants. The perception that they were being used as a cheap and disposable labor force fueled resentment and discrimination from the wider community, including groups like the Knights of Labour who campaigned for their removal.
So, your understanding of how employing practices of Chinese labor contractors led to prejudice and took advantage of Chinese workers is correct.