Japan was emerging from isolation during the 1800s. Japan introduced the “Charter Oath” in Japan set up a negotiation of immigration agreement with Canada and U.S.

Manzo Nagano was the first Japanese immigrant to Canada in Most came from Hiroshima, Shiga, and Wakayama. Many Japanese women immigrated to Canada on “The Picture Bride System”. The first pioneers from Japan who made Canada their home are called “ISSEI”.

Many Japanese immigrants came from fishing and agriculture backgrounds. Peak for Japanese employment in Canada was in 1919, with 3,267 fishing licenses issued. Japanese Immigrants also worked on the railroads, in the lumber industry and in the mining industry.

White Canadians saw the Japanese as a threat to occupational opportunities. Fishing licenses were restricted. Labourers were cut from railroad construction. Japanese were paid 1/2 to 2/3 what white labourers earned for the same type of work.

Disenfranchisement of Oriental people. 1907: Lemieux Agreement “Canada needed immigrants but only those of the right colour.” Vancouver Race Riot

Japanese attack Pearl Harbour.

22,000 men, women and children of Japanese ancestry living in British Columbia were stripped of their rights. 75% of these people were Nisei, which are second generation Canadian-born children of the Issei.

Bank accounts were frozen and insurance policies cancelled. Japanese Canadians were fired from their jobs. Japanese Canadian owned business were burned, vandalized or looted. 1,200 Japanese Fishing boats were Impounded.

Japanese Canadians were fingerprinted and ordered to register with the RCMP as “enemy aliens” and required to carry identification cards. The government took possession of their homes, businesses, and personal belongings. The Japanese Canadians were forced to Hastings Park in Vancouver, and were held there until the government decided what to do with them.

Many people believed that if Japan invaded Canada, then the Japanese Canadians would help. “The reason for the mass evacuation was not because of the Japanese but because of the whites. The problem was one of mass hysteria and prejudice.”

After being held at Hastings Park for many weeks, the Japanese Canadians were moved away from the coastal areas of B.C. Thousands went to internment camps in the interior of B.C. Living spaces within the camps were very crowded and lacked basic necessities.

Slowly, these internment camps were turned into small towns as a result of the Japanese’s perseverance. They were forced to go to desolate places throughout Canada. To deal with the Japanese, the Canadian government put them to work. Many Japanese Canadians were sent to the Prairies to work on sugar beet farms, and others were forced to work in road camps.

Many were sent to build highways throughout the country. Living conditions elsewhere were quite similar to those in internment camps.

All Japanese Canadians were treated as enemies, whether they lived in internment camps, road camps, or farms.

Japanese Canadians were not released. In 1946, under the War Measures Act, deportation of Japanese Canadians occurred. Upon return, the communities they had known no longer existed. In 1948, Japanese Canadians received the federal right to vote. On April 1, 1949, as the last restriction imposed on them was lifted, they were finally free to return to the west coast.

During the early 1940s, Japanese Canadians made their first attempt to seek compensation for their mistreatment. In 1943, a group of Nisei formed the Japanese Canadian Committee of Democracy. In 1947, this committee was formed into a national organization called the National Japanese Canadian Citizens’ Association (NJCCA). Canadian government assembled the Royal Commission to investigate the losses of the Nisei, headed by Justice Henry Bird.

Japanese Canadians were silenced, and their attempts to be compensated were quietly swept under the carpet in the early 1950s. Nisei scattered across Canada and attempted to rebuild their lives. In 1977, interest in Japanese Canadian compensation hightened. Over the next 10 years, the NJCCA battled with the Canadian government.

On this date, the Terms of Agreement between the Government of Canada and the National Association of Japanese Canadians was signed.

1) An acknowledgement that the treatment of Japanese Canadians before and after WWII was unjust and a violation of human rights. 2) A pledge to ensure that the Government, to it’s full power would prevent events such as these from occurring again. 3) Recognize the determination of Japanese Canadians, that despite their hardships, continue to remain committed & loyal to Canada and contribute to the nation.

Monetary redress for those who were interred, relocated, deported or lost property based solely on their Japanese ancestry. Individual amount was $21,000 tax free. $12 million was given to the Japanese community through the NAJC.

$24 million for a Race Relations Foundation. The names of those Japanese Canadians convicted under the WMA would be cleared. Canadian citizenship would be reinstated. $3 million given to the NAJC for the administration of the redress process.