The Chinese began to immigrate to Canada in the 1850's. China was plaguedwith natural disasters, civil war and foreign intervention. Men fled acrossthe oceans, following the gold rush to California in the 1840's, and thento the Fraser River Gold Rush in 1858. A few Candian dollars would go along way to supporting a family in China. Life was so difficult that men-- fathers, sons, brothers -- were prepared to live apart from their lovedones so that they could send money home. The cost of passage and the head-taxwas too much for a labourer to shoulder. Only merchants, scholars, diplomatsand students were exempt from the head-tax.