History of 'whiteness' in Canada: Regulating 'between-ness'

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This research elucidates 'white' supremacy in Canada from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, examining how 'white' elites tried to regulate 'inbetween-ness'. It finds that Chinese immigrants and Indians, for example, were regarded as filthy, uncivilized and 'external threat', which would contaminate 'whiteness', so their activities and spaces were strictly supervised by various enactments, such as 'White Women's Labour Laws', and 'Gradual Civilization Act'. There was also 'internal threat' among the 'whites'. 'Mental defectives' were regarded as being situated between 'normal' and 'sane' and their presence was thought to be dangerous to keep 'pure white' Canada. It concludes that the elites' governance was fragile, facing both 'external' and 'internal' threats that might shake 'white' supremacy.