Transcript Internment of Japanese Canadians

The Japanese Canadian
Question: WWII
Japanese Aggression…
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Japanese expansion in East Asia began in 1931
with the invasion of Manchuria and continued in
1937 with a brutal attack on China.
On February 24th, 1933, Japan stuns the world
and withdraws from the League of Nations.
With Japan becoming
increasingly
aggressive in the
Pacific such as
occupying Indonesia,
parts of China, the
Philippines, Malaya,
Burma, and
Singapore, antiJapanese sentiments
are increasing around
the world
The Tripartite Pact
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On September 27,
1940, Japan signed
the Tripartite Pact
with Germany and
Italy, thus entering
the military alliance
known as the "Axis."
Embargo Against Japan
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the United States, Britain
and the Netherlands froze
all Japanese financial
assets. The effect was to
prevent Japan from
purchasing oil, which
would, in time, cripple its
army and make its navy
and air force completely
useless.
Canadian Sentiment…
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At the outbreak of the World War II in 1939, the
population of British Columbia included around
21,000 Canadians of Japanese origin, 75% of
whom had residence rights.
Common belief held was that the Japanese are
unable to assimilate into Canadian society as easily
as those of European heritage.
Prime Minister Mackenzie King himself expressed a
belief in “the extreme difficulty of assimilating
Japanese persons in Canada”
Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbour!
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December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt declares
it “The Day of Infamy”.
The Battle of Hong Kong
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Hong Kong surrendered
on Christmas Day 1941.
Of the 1,975 Canadians,
290 were killed and 493
wounded. A further 260
died in the awful
conditions of prison
camps in Hong Kong and
Japan.
Do we need proof?
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Japanese submarines are known to have
been operating off the coast of British
Columbia
Although RCMP and Canadian military
evaluations suggested no imminent threat by
Japanese Canadians, this assessment is not
universally accepted, as there exists no
guarantee of the loyalty, or passivity of
Japanese-Canadians.
What should be done?
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Resentment against
Japanese Canadians
exploded into panic
and anger in British
Columbia.
1,200 fishing boats
were seized by the
Canadian navy in fear
of spying
The war offered a
convenient excuse for
Canadians to address
the Japanese
Canadian question.
TOWN HALL MEETING
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1. Students will form groups of 5. Each person will then be designated a
letter (A, B, C, D or E) which represents a specific “profile”.
2. Students will read their designated “profile” and then return to their
group.
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3. There will be a ‘town hall meeting’ (ie. Each table) in which students will
present their profile and address the question:
“Due to the increasing suspicions of the Japanese
Canadians and following Canada’s declaration of
war on Japan, what should be done with the
Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia?”
The Canadian War Measures Act
1914 – “gave the government
sweeping powers to ensure the
security, defence, peace, order, and
welfare of Canada.”
 Used to imprison CANADIANS of
German, Ukrainian, and Slavic
descent in WWI.
 1939- War Measures Act invokedthis allowed for the internment of
enemy aliens
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Take a stand….
what is more important:
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National Security

Individual Rights
…keeping in mind that people make
decisions based on what they
know at the time!
Japanese Internment in Canada
■ The movement of 23,000 Japanese Canadians during the war
was the largest mass exodus in Canadian history.
Internment Timeline
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1941 (December 8): 1,200 Japanese Canadian fishing boats are
impounded. Japanese language newspapers and schools close.
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1942 (January 16): Removal begins of Japanese immigrant males
from coastal areas.
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1942 (February 24): All male Japanese Canadian citizens between
the ages of 18 and 45 ordered to be removed from 100-mile-wide
zone along the coast of British Columbia.
1942 (February 26): Mass evacuation of Japanese Canadians
begins. Some given only 24 hours notice. Cars, cameras and radios
confiscated for “protective measures”. Curfew imposed.
1942 (March 4): Japanese Canadians ordered to turn over property
and belongings to Custodian of Enemy Alien Property as a
“protective measure only”. Eventually these assets were sold and
proceeds used to pay for the interment
1942 (March 25): British Columbia Security Commission initiates
scheme of forcing men to road camps and women and children to
“ghost town” detention camps.
Conditions in the Camps
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Housed in huts with
two bedrooms and a
kitchen
shared by two families
No electricity or running
water until 1943
Camp Conditions continued
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Hundreds of women and
children were squeezed
into livestock buildings
Slept on beds covered in
straw for comfort
Conditions were so poor
that food packages were
sent from Japan through
the Canadian Red Cross
to those suffering in the
camps
End of the War
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In 1945, the government extended the Order in
Council to force the Japanese Canadians to go
to Japan and lose their Canadian citizenship, or
move to eastern Canada.
Even though the war was over, it was illegal for
Japanese Canadians to return to Vancouver
until 1949.
Public protest would eventually stop the
deportations, but not before 4000 Japanese left
the country.
Watch
Watch: David Suzuki- Internment Camp (2
min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMk_RR
O5ZUw
 Watch: CBC News: Apology to Japanese
Canadians (4 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxVZtQUL
IMQ&feature=related
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Acknowledging Wartime Wrongs
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Forty-three years after the end of the war,
Prime minister Brian Mulroney
acknowledged the wrong doings of the
Canadian government and announced the
awarding of $21,000 for each individual
directly wronged.
Is this an acceptable redress to the issue?
Activity
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In pairs, examine “QUESTION 2” on the
following worksheet:
http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/h
istory/history/debatingissues_ww2.html .
With your partner, identify which
arguments are for the “Yes” side and “No”
side.