The history of Asian Canadians has been shadowed by the experience of racism. Laws were passed to limit Chinese immigration. In , the right to vote in provincial and municipal elections was taken away from Chinese Canadians in British Columbia; Japanese Canadians and South Asians were similarly disenfranchised in and respectively. A range of discriminatory laws and policies prohibited Chinese Canadians from owning property, serving the public, and entering certain professions. The Commission received 14 submissions from non-racialized members of the communities where assaults against Asian Canadian anglers have taken place. Most, though not all, of these focussed on the fishing practices of Asian Canadians, while denying that race was a factor in the incidents that have occurred.