by: Karyn MacPherson

During the Second World War in January of 1941 the Canadian government showed obvious discrimination towards Japanese Canadians. People who lived in British Columbia did not like having the Japanese, they blamed them for everything and showed discrimination towards them. They were not allowed to join the Canadian military to fight overseas for Canada in Germany. The public people also showed a strong feeling for this banning and we also against the Japanese Canadians fighting for the military.

Japanese Canadians were discriminated against before the war began. They weren't allowed to vote, become lawyers or pharmacists, work for government, or anything to do with the government. They were accused of endangering white living standards by their low salaries and low living standards. Once the war started, in the only newspaper allowed circulated, The New Canadian, published information on anti- Japanese anger and panic. There were reports published of hateful words posted in Japanese store windows, and bricks thrown through windows.

During this time Japanese Canadians sixteen years and older were forced by the RCMP to be fingerprinted and photographed and carry their new registration card. This was because the war had started and the government was nervous as to what the Japanese might do. They had to carry these registration cards until This photo is an example of what a registration card looked like.

Japan bombed Pearl Harbour on this day. As most of you know Japan Bombed America, the island of Oahu, Hawaii to be exact. This had nothing to do with Canada, so why did the government turn-around and do terrible things to Japanese Canadians, because the government was scared.

The very next day after Pearl Harbour the government confiscated hundreds of Japanese fishing boats and the Japanese newspapers and school closed down. Only the all English newspaper was still allowed to be published. Boats taken from Japanese Canadians after Pearl Harbour.

Around January in 1942 the removal began of Japanese men from age 18 to 45 years of age who lived 100 miles of the Pacific Coast. The government said the were using the “War Measures Act”. This act declared that freedom regulations were limited to Canadians during the wars. In February about 20,000 men, women and children were removed from their homes and taken to temporary camps. About 75% of these people were of Canadian nationality. They were given only 24 hours from a notice that was posted by the government. The RCMP had the right to take vehicles, radios, cameras and other valuables.

This is the notice that was place all over to tell the Japanese Canadians how they must abide by these rules.

Japanese were given very little time to get their belongings before they were sent to one of the 4 camps. A group of Nisei protested that families should not be broken up and demanded that they stayed together. This protesting was one of the main reason for the division of the Nisei and the Issei. Protesters were sent to prison camps in Ontario. Nisei is a person of Japanese descent but was educated in Canada. Issei is a Japanese person who immigrated to Canada in This photo is of Nisei men being separated from their families and sent to different camps.

There were four types of camps that Japanese were sent to. They are road camp projects, internment camps, self-supporting projects and prisoner of war camps. Road camp projects- Around 2,000 men were placed in this camp to work on different road construction jobs that the government wanted done. They were sent here in June of 1942 and were allowed to leave by October 1942, to join their families in internment camp s. Internment camps- Most Japanese Canadians were sent to these camps in various parts of British Columbia. About 12,000 Japanese were placed in tents, until shacks were built. Or until hotels from abandoned towns were ready for use.

Self-supporting projects- small groups went to this camp. The people who went here had to pay for their own transportation, housing and living expenses. But if you had the money and were able to get here you could stay together with your family. Prisoner of war camps- anyone who was a community leader or men who refused even in a slight way to listen, were sent to this camp located in Ontario. Around 700 men were sent during the war. During the war there was a shortage of workers in the sugar beet industry in Alberta and Manitoba. So signs were posted for internees to go work on the farms. About 4,000 internees went to these farm and found the conditions were very unpleasant. Men’s sleeping quarters.

Life in Internment camps Life in Internment camps was not always restricted, they were allowed to do certain things. They were allowed to play some recreational games, and they did have summer festival during internment. Hide Shimizu was the first Japanese to teach in a public school. During the internment Hide taught the children education. Class of internment students. Girls from the summer festival.

Between 1943 and 1945 the federal government sold off Japanese Canadians homes, personal property, boats, farms and other things which they took from them before. Also in 1945 Japanese Canadians were told that they could choose between being deported to war infested Japan or could disperse into the Rocky Mountains. By 1947 around 4,000 had left Canada to move back to Japan.

On September 22, 1988 Brian Mulroney Prime minister at the time, addressed the Japanese Canadians for the discrimination they experienced during World War II. The Prime Minister announced the Redress Agreement with association with the National Association of Japanese Canadians. Mulroney expressed his sincere apology, the apology stated that all survivors of the internment was able to receive up $21,000, any Japanese Canadians who were sent to the prison camp would have their criminal record cleared of that, 12 million dollars went to a Japanese community fund, and 24 millions dollars went to a Canadian Race Relations Foundations, so discrimination like this would never occur in the future.

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