Japanese Internment in Canada During WW2

As with anti-Semitism in Germany prior to WW2, many Canadians held pre-existing racist attitudes towards Asian Canadians. These sentiments had been around since the beginning of Asian immigration in the 1800s. Ex. Anti-Asiatic/Asiatic Exclusion League, Chinese head tax By the time WW2 broke out, Japanese-Canadians lived in BC and had been there for generations.

PEARL HARBOUR On December 7, 1941 American naval fleet stationed at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii was attacked by the Japanese navy. Although tensions between the US and Japan had been growing, no state of war actually existed between two nations. Surprise attack caused approx. 4000 casualties and crippled US Pacific fleet. Complete shock to American public (FORTRESS AMERICA). Caused US to enter war (awoke sleeping giant). The bombing inflamed anti-Japanese sentiments in North America.

Residents of British Columbia were scared that the Japanese-Canadian population was sympathetic to Japan. Specifically, many people feared that the Japanese-Canadians would engage in sabotage and subversion against Canada. They wanted Prime Minister Mackenzie King to do something about the perceived threat.

In 1942, Japanese-Canadians were ordered to leave the ‘restricted area’ (parts of the BC coast). They were relocated to several internment camps 160kms in the BC interior. Some camps were located as far away as Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. Families were split up; some camps held men while others contained women, children, and the elderly.

This notice was posted throughout British Columbia. If any J.C. were found in the prohibited areas listed, they would be arrested and incarcerated.

The Federal Government declared itself the "Custodian of Aliens“ and confiscated property and possessions. These were eventually sold without their consent. Over a nine month period 22,000 Japanese Canadians were taken from their homes and scattered throughout BC.

Japanese Canadians were being punished for a crime they didn't commit. Canada's only defense for its actions was that Japanese-Canadians could be Japanese spies. Innocent Japanese Canadians were stripped of their rights, issued special clothing, humiliated, thrown behind barb wire fences, and were forced to do manual labour…. Suzuki family interned from 1942-1945

In 1988, 46 years after the first Japanese Internment Camps, Japanese Canadians were compensated for all that they had endured during the war. Prime Minister Brian Mulroney signed a compensation package giving $21,000 for each internee's survivor; In total 12 million dollars were paid out.