Around the turn of the 20th century, Chinese immigration was perceived as a threat to the living standards of whites in North America and other similar nations. The Chinese were seen as invasive, and this mounting xenophobia culminated in Yellow Peril hysteria. In the United States, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, banning Chinese immigration, within a few years after the first recorded use of chink. The dehumanizing use of the word is argued by one author to be a racist justifier for the passage of the Exclusion Act.[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chink
Clarkson also felt compelled to tell these stories because she wants to change how Canadians view immigration. In a time of economic uncertainty and international turmoil, attitudes to immigration are becoming less favourable, and this is a shift that Clarkson strongly disagrees with. Despite our current troubles, she sees Canada as a prosperous and vibrant country, and this is something we need to share with anyone who wants it — or needs it. "When you get on the boat that's saving you, don't pull up the ladder behind you," she said. "I think it's important for ALL Canadians to never to do that." http://www.cbc.ca/books/2011/10/adrienne-clarkson-argues-that-there-is-room-for-all-of-us.html