• Hungarian Culture Trunk Photographs
    Life in Hungary Aboard the Ship and Plane Coming to Canada Arrival in Canada Life in Canada … Hungarian Culture Trunk Photographs …
  • "Might Be the Best of the Lot": Baltic Refugees, Canadian Immigration Policy and the Arrival of SS Walnut
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 14, 2020) Introduction Since Confederation, Canadian immigration officials have considered many factors in determining whether an individual was ‘admissible’ and would be granted entry to Canada. The arrival in Canada of SS Walnut from Sweden in …
  • Customs and the Seizure of Goods at Pier 21
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 15, 2020) Introduction: Canadian Customs before and after the Second World War In May 2015, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 opened new exhibitions on the history of the Pier 21 National Historic Site of Canada and the history of …
  • Canada’s Oppressed Minority Policy and the Resettlement of Ugandan Asians, 1972-1973
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 16, 2020) Introduction In January 1971, the Ugandan government of President Milton Obote was overthrown in a coup d’état by the Ugandan military under the leadership of General Idi Amin . The Asian Ugandan community was initially relieved by Amin’s …
  • Starting Points: Researching Canadian Immigration and Ethnic History
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 8, 2020) Introduction So you’re interested in researching a topic that deals with Canadian immigration and ethnic history? This short post will give you an overview of the field and suggest some starting points to help get your research underway. Early …
  • Who Is Admissible? Immigrant Desirability and Immigration Acts since Confederation
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 9, 2020) In May 2015, the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 opened new exhibitions on the history of the Pier 21 National Historic Site of Canada and the history of immigration to Canada. This blog is based on research that informs new displays …
  • Tibetan Immigration to Canada
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated September 29, 2020) Introduction Asian Heritage Month offers all Canadians an opportunity to learn more about the history of Asian Canadians and to celebrate their contributions to the growth and prosperity of Canada. [1] In May of each year we celebrate the …
  • Food Wars! Immigration and Food Confiscation at Pier 21
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated November 5, 2020) Introduction “If one thing caused scenes at Pier 21, it was sausages.” This statement located on a panel in the Museum’s (pre-2015) core exhibition sheds light on an interesting yet underexplored aspect of Canadian immigration history: food …
  • Historical Thinking (3) : Primary Source Evidence
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 1, 2020) Introduction What types of sources do historians encounter when they research and write about history? In conducting research for a project, historians use primary and secondary sources. In this post, we are going to discuss the second concept …
  • Historical Thinking (4) : Continuity and Change
    by Jan Raska, PhD, Historian (Updated October 1, 2020) Introduction History is often seen by the public as the study of dates, names, places and events. As a discipline, history is much more diverse and multilayered than many individuals realize. The discipline of history can be viewed as a complex …