A Song for the Paper Children is a tribute to early Chinese immigrants, some of whom came to Canada after the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed to several restrict their entry. These "paper children," courageous men and women, endured legislated racism, financial hardship, and frequent acts of violence and discrimination, but they followed in the footsteps of their predecessors to lay the foundation for a Chinese Canadian community today that is vibrant, resilient and here to stay.

The poem was written to commemorate the centenary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and was performed by poet Christopher Tse in the Senate of Canada on 23 June 2023