Did the 1920s Roar?

When people think of the 1920’s they think of a time of prosperity. Although due to Canadians not experiencing greater levels of equality the 1920’s did not in fact roar. The injustice felt by the Native people was a direct result of inequality and discrimination by the Canadian government. According to ‘A Day at Indian Residential Schools In Canada’ living in these Residential schools was a complete nightmare. Only 2 hours of education, hard labor, malnutrition and a strapping if you had done something wrong.

As well the Canadian government “attempted to ‘protect’ Native peoples from White society, but intended to assimilate them at the same time” (Fielding, Evans 98). The short/long term effects were devastating, families were broken, children were isolated and cultures were divided.

This shows how Native peoples were treated unjust, just by sending them to reserves in the first place to be assimilated and protect by White society. Secondly although women were gaining equality and they were rebelling in a way they were still not deemed equal to men.

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A type of newfound woman was called the ‘Flapper’, they bobbed their hair, shower more skin, smoked and drank as well they even drove cars and kept their jobs they took from men when the war ended. According to Agnes Mcphail, “A woman’s place is anywhere she wants to be” (Bardswich and Fryer 16-17). Agnes was the first female member of the Canadian House of Commons, and she did gain some levels of independence for woman but not all women.

Lastly immigrants coming to Canada for a better life only received worse treatment than before including many immigrants from Europe and Asia.

Acts such as the Chinese Immigration Act prohibited all Chinese immigrants except diplomats, students, children of Canadians, and an investor class. According to ‘The Immigrant Experience’ fewer than 800 South Asians entered Canada during the 1920s (Fine-Meyer 14-17). Although Africans, and eastern/southern Europeans were un-preferred as well it wasn’t to the extent in which they had received an Immigration Act. The 1920s clearly did not roar in the equality side of things, as not all woman were considered persons, native peoples were isolated and immigrants hadn’t received the warm welcome they very much deserved.

WORK CITED

Bardswich, Miriam, and Sandra Fryer. Labour and Social Reform. Oakville: Rubicon Education Inc., 2002. Print.

Fine-Meyer, Rose. The Immigrant Experience. Oakville: Rubicon Education Inc., 2003. Print.

"A Day at Indian Residential Schools in Canada." 2005. DVD.

Fielding, John, and Rosemary Evans. Canada: Our Century, Our Story. Scarborough: Nelson Thomson Learning, 2001. Print.