Businesses in Vancouver boarded up after the 1907 race riot targeting Chinese and Japanese communities. (Vancouver Archives via CBC)

From September 7-9, 1907, Vancouver was rocked by anti-Asiatic riots, primarily targeting Chinese and Japanese immigrants. Instigated by the Asiatic Exclusion League, a white supremacist group, the riots were fueled by racist sentiments and economic fears. A mob vandalized businesses in Chinatown and Japantown, causing significant damage. This event starkly highlighted the intense discrimination faced by Asian communities, including Chinese Canadians, in early 20th-century Canada. It led to diplomatic tensions and eventual compensation by the Canadian government. For Chinese Canadians, it was a violent manifestation of the systemic racism that also led to policies like the Head Tax, demonstrating their insecure position and the fight for basic rights and safety in their new homeland.