Japanese Canadian Internment Camps



Japanese Canadian Internment Camps

A Personal Perspective

By: Stefeni Higuchi

Backround Information

• After the bombing of Pearl Habor in Dec.17th 1941, in the US, racial profiling occured

• In 1942, 22,000 Japanese-Canadians were evacuated from BC over a 9 month period

• By October, 8 internment camps were set up in interior BC

• Women, children and older people were sent there while men who complained or violated the curfew were sent to the “prisoner of war” camps in Ontario

• The property of the Japanese-Canadians (inc. land, business etc.) were confiscated by the government and sold and the proceeds were used to pay for their internment

• In 1945, the government extended the Order in Council to force Japanese to either go to Japan and lose their citzenship or move to eastern Canada

• Even though the war was over, it was illegal for them to return to Vancouver until 1949

Personal Perspective of my Great-Uncle

• My great-uncle was born in Richmond, BC around 1914

• Ever since Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, it had changed their lives dramatically

• After Pearl Habor, the Canadian Government moved to control feared treachery of its Japanese population by invoking the War Measures Act against all people of Japanese descent

• They became the victims of extreme racial discrimination and were blamed for everything that went wrong. They also thought they were spies

• A lot of people in BC didn’t want the Japanese living there so Mackenzie King incarcerate all Japanese males between the age of 14 and 45

• Around 1942, that is when many Japanese-Canadians were sent to internment camps in abandoned mining settlements

• During this time, the government had taken their land, businesses, and basically everything they had

• The valueables they owned were sold without their consent and for far less than their value

• They were stripped of their rights, issued special clothing, humiliated and was forced to do manual labour

• They were being punished for a crime they didn’t commit. It was because they weren’t white and “could” have been spies

Feelings about the whole experience

• My great-uncle and his family felt many feelings when they found out they were being forced to move out of BC

• He felt insecure about the whole situation because he didn’t know exactly what was going to happen

• He felt obliged to do whatever the government instructed him to do

• There was a feeling of sadness and devestation because they no longer owned their land and everything was taken away from them

• It was a very depressing time for all the Japanese-Canadians. They were treated very harshly (ex. hard labour, poor living conditions)

• He felt very discriminated against the white Canadians who felt the Japanese-Canadians were not welcomed in their country

Ending

•

• In 1988, Canada apoligized for this miscarraige of justice, admitting that the actions of the government were influenced by racial discrimination

• The government and PM signed a redress agreement providing a small amount of money compensation

Questions to think about (opinion based)

1. It is important to note that Canada is at war with Japan, Germany, Italy and Austria. Why then were only Japanese-Canadians held against their will?

2. Why do you think Japanese people were treated like this?

3. Even though the government of Canada believes in free will and believes in equality amongst people of different races, then why were Japanese people treated so unfairly even though most of them were born in Canada?

4.

4. Do you think the government is treating other people based on their races and backrounds differently because of all the news that are happening? (ex. The 911 bombings on the world trade centers, accusing some people of being terrorists)

Bibliography

Websites:

A National Shame: Winning the War, Losing Ourselves



Internment Camps in British Columbia



Personal Journey Through Genetic and Civil Rights



Videos:







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