A Multicultural Ideal In Canada

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Fast forward to 1941, there are still signs of ongoing challenges and struggles of the achieving a multicultural ideal within Canada. Canadian literature represents and reflects its current cultural diversity (or its lack of diversity) and during 1941, there was a boom of discrimination faced by the Japanese. As a result of the Pearl Harbour bombing near the end of World War II (“WWII”), many Japanese-Canadians faced immediate detainment and removal from their homes, even from Canada. This internment continued all the way until 1949, four years after the end of WWII and by then, more Japanese-Canadians were uprooted, with their properties being seized by the Canadian government (Sunahara 76). Then even after this internment ended, there were …show more content…

Throughout the story, she describes how different members of her family had different approaches to the oppressions of the Japanese. Her Aunt Emily protests publicly for her rights and against the persecution of her people, while her Obasan and uncle choose to stay silent. At the same time, Kogawa’s brother, Stephen, is completely embarrassed and downright disgusted by his heritage. He renounces his heritage, avoiding absolutely anything related to Japanese traditions and refuses to interact with his family. He identifies himself as a Canadian and while Stephen’s actions could be seen as a betrayal to his family and his background, he does this for very understandable reasons. Stephen has been mercilessly bullied as a child for being Japanese and shamed for it, even once coming “[...] home from school, his glasses broken, black tear stains on his face" (Kogawa 83). He has faced both the emotional, mental, and physical effects of the racism against the Japanese and, more generally, being a part of a minority that does not conform to the Anglo-Saxon majority. Aunt Emily has suffered similar persecution, something akin to “a bad dream” (Kogawa 88) and she urges Kogawa not to forget the history and suffering that her family went through the internment: "You are your history. If you cut any of it off you're an amputee. Don't deny the past. Remember everything. If you're bitter, be bitter. Cry it out! Scream! Denial is gangrene." (Kogawa

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