1. Mind’s On - Discuss
It is 1941 – What do we know/think we know about Japanese Canadians living in Canada?
What do we know/think we know about the attack on Pearl Harbour?
How might these events be related?

3. Japanese Canadian Internment Camps

4. Background
At the start of World War II, approximately 23,000 people of Japanese descent lived in Canada, mostly in British Columbia.
75% held Canadian citizenship and over 13,000 were Japanese-Canadians (they were born in Canada).
Most Japanese-Canadians were hard workers, owned land, and paid taxes.

5. Pearl Harbour
Japan attacks Pearl Harbour (Hawaii) on Dec in a surprise attack
The damage was extensive and took out most of the US force stationed there
This draws the US into WW2

6. Canada’s Response Canada declared war on Japan shortly after
The Japanese were unfairly suspected of being spies as many were fisherman
The property of the Japanese-Canadians (land, business etc.) were confiscated by the government and sold and the proceeds were used to pay for their internment

7. Anti Japanese Propaganda

11. Internment Camps
The War Measures Act is once again brought in, stripping citizens of their rights to justify internment
By the end of 1942 more than 22,000 men, women, and children of Japanese ancestry were taken to the camps

12. Conditions were poor, men were forced into labour
Those unwilling to live in internment camps faced the possibility of deportation to Japan

13. After the Internment Camps
Japanese-Canadians who remained in Canada were not allowed to return to the BC coast until 1949
Their homes and property was not returned
It was not until 1988 that a formal apology came from Canada’s government
The Canadian government also provided compensation, including $21,000 for survivors and restatement of their citizenship

14. Debate Time… The class will be divided into three.
Group #1: Case for the victims
Group #2: Case for the defense
Group #3: Unbiased decision makers (you will decide which group is the winner of the debate!
We will proceed with an argument from the Victims followed by the Defense and so on.
(speaker 1, 1, 2, 2, recess to prepare rebuttal, 3, 3, 4, 4, and so on until everyone has had a chance to talk. At this point, the decision makers will conference and award a winner!