郑天华与加拿大华人参政的先声

Douglas Jung and Chinese Canadians' Participation in Politics

华人在19世纪中叶,因着淘金潮而到加拿大,随后就参与了修建太平洋铁路,为加拿大的建设作出了卓越的贡献。但是,一直到二战结束之前,华人受到了歧视和排斥。在太平洋战争中,500多华人参军抗击法西斯,并成为战后加拿大废除排华法的主要原因,而郑天华正是当中的优秀一员。在华人进入加拿大百年之际,郑天华代表联邦保守党在温哥华中央区参选成功,成为华人第一个国会议员,开创了华人在加拿大的新一页。

Chinese came to Canada in the mid-19th century because of the gold rush and subsequently participated in the construction of the Pacific Railway. They have made outstanding contributions to the building of Canada. However, until the end of World War II, Chinese were discriminated against and marginalized in Canada. During World War II, more than five hundred Chinese young men, including Douglas Jung, joined the army against the Fascists, which became one of the main reasons that Canada government repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act after the war. About 100 years after Chinese entered into Canada, on be- half of the Federal Conservative Party, Douglas Jung won the election in Vancouver centre, and became the first Chinese to be a member of parliament in 1957, and turned a new page for the Chinese in Canada.