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Internment of japanese canadians essay
Internment of japanese canadians essay
Japanese internment camps in canada
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The fate of thousands changed on December 7, 1941 when Japanese planes left Pearl Harbour in Hawaii devastated after a surprise attack. The American Pacific fleet stationed there was nearly obliterated: 2,403 Americans were dead, 188 planes had been destroyed, and 8 battleships lay wrecked (Donlan, 4). However, the real tragedy was to come when nations would turn against their people and democracy’s very foundations would have to be questioned. Such a time came in 1942 when 23,000 Japanese Canadians were interned; over 75% of them were Canadian citizens (Hickman, 72). Unnecessary fear had found shelter in the hearts of the British majority which resided in Canada at the time (ibid). It spread from heart to heart; fuelled by racism it ran rampant. Dislike turned to hatred, Canadians became a threat to other Canadians, and people of Japanese origin became enemy aliens or better known as Japs (Aihoshi, 71). Most people were blinded by extremist views; others saw but chose to do nothing more. Only those who experienced it told of the injustice and posed the question, “Was it necessary?” It is a question which deserves an answer. It was unnecessary to place the Japanese Canadians in internment camps during WWII as they weren’t a threat to other Canadians, but were victims of racism, and were just as patriotic and loyal as any other Canadian.
The threat represented by the Japanese Canadians was largely exaggerated. Feelings of racism were magnified by the attack on Pearl Harbour which led people to draw false conclusions and make exaggerations about the Japanese Canadians. People generally believed that Japanese Canadians belonged to a fifth column and were therefore secretly helping out the enemy (ibid). In British Columbia, people be...
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Japanese Canadians: The Fifth Column? Perf. Arthur McLennan, Harry Stevens. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Feb. 24, 1960. Radio Broadcast. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Miki, Roy, and Cassandra Kobayashi. Justice in Our Time: The Japanese Canadian Redress Settlement. Vancouver: Talon, 1991. Print.
Miki, Roy. Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadians Call for Justice. Vancouver: Raincoast, 2004. Print.
Nakano, Takeo. Within the Barbed Wire Fence. N.p.: Univ. of Toronto, 1980. 6-13. Print.
Newman, Garfield, Bob Aitken, Diana Eaton, Dick Holland, John Montgomery, and Sonia Riddoch. Canada: A Nation Unfolding. Toronto: McGraw-Hill, 2000. 252-53. Print.
Paolini, David. "Japanese Canadian Interment and Racism During World War II."IMAGI(NATION)S. IMAGI(NATION)S, 23 Mar. 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. .
John Dower's War without Mercy describes the ugly racial issues, on both the Western Allies and Japanese sides of the conflict in the Pacific Theater as well as all of Asia before during and after World War II and the consequences of these issues on both military and reconstruction policy in the Pacific. In the United States as well as Great Britain, Dower dose a good job of proving that, "the Japanese were more hated than the Germans before as well as after Pearl Harbor." (8) On this issue, there was no dispute among contemporary observers including the respected scholars and writers as well as the media. During World War II the Japanese are perceived as a race apart, a species apart referred to as apes, but at the same time superhuman. "There was no Japanese counterpart to the "good German" in the popular consciousness of the Western Allies." (8) Dower is not trying to prove how horrible the Japanese are. Instead, he is examining the both sides as he points out, "atrocious behavior occurred on all sides in the Pacific War." (12-13) Dower explores the propaganda of the United States and Japanese conflict to underline the "patterns of a race war," and the portability of racist stereotypes. Dower points out that "as the war years themselves changed over into an era of peace between Japan and the Allied powers, the shrill racial rhetoric of the early 1940s revealed itself to be surprisingly adaptable. Idioms that formerly had denoted the unbridgeable gap between oneself and the enemy proved capable of serving the goals of accommodation as well."(13) "the Japanese also fell back upon theories of "proper place" which has long been used to legitimize inequitable relationships within Japan itself."(9) After...
Wilson, J. Bradely Cruxton and W. Douglas. Spotlight Canada Fourth Edition. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2000.
The post-war time was a period where major changes were occurring. After being involved in two international conflicts, Canada was ready to reestablish their economy. During this time, Canada had started working on ways to become stronger and reputable. It is evident that Canada had matured through the post-war era. Canada’s economic progress left a positive impact on the growth of the country as consumerism became popular, and economic ties with America became stronger. Moreover, the removal of racial and ethical barriers contributed to Canadian social affairs such as the huge wave of immigration and the baby boom. The Canadian government also had become more aware and involved in issues impacting Canadian citizens. Canada as a whole started identifying itself as an independent nation and participating in events that brought a positive reputation amongst them. These economical, social, and legal changes helped Canada mature into the country it is today.
Systems: The canadian Future in light of the American Past.” Ontario native Council on Justice. Toronto, Ontario.
It was December 8th, 1941, the day after the attack in Pearl Harbour, that the Canadian government imposed the War Measures Act which changed the lives of more than 21000 Japanese Canadians forever (Paolini). The War Measures Act allowed the government to impose certain conditions on the population in times of crisis. This gave the government the power to intern the Japanese-Canadians during World War Two. These Japanese-Canadians were first tar...
FYI (This is a biased written paper written if one were to defend Japanese Internment)
Japanese immigration created the same apprehension and intolerance in the mind of the Americans as was in the case of Chinese migration to the U.S at the turn of the 19th century. They developed a fear of being overwhelmed by a people having distinct ethnicity, skin color and language that made them “inassimilable.” Hence they wanted the government to restrict Asian migration. Japan’s military victories over Russia and China reinforced this feeling that the Western world was facing what came to be known as “yellow peril”. This was reflected in the media, movies and in literature and journalism.4 Anti-Oriental public opinion gave way to several declarations and laws to restrict Japanese prosperity on American land. Despite the prejudice and ineligibility to obtain citizenship the ...
Quinlan, Don, Doug Baldwin, Rick Mahoney, and Kevin Reed. The Canadian Challenge. N.p.: Oxford University Press, 2008.
May, E. (2009). Losing Confidence: Power, politics, and the crisis in Canadian democracy. Toronto, ON: McClelland & Stewart.
American society, like that of Germany, was tainted with racial bigotry and prejudice. The Japanese were thought of as especially treacherous people for the attack on Pearl Harbor. The treachery was obviously thought to reside in ...
Newman, Garfield et al. Canada A Nation Unfolding. Toronto: Mc Graw – Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000.
Many people across the globe argue that nationalism within Canada is simply not feasible. It is said that we as a people, differ so greatly with our diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds that we cannot come together and exist together as a strong, united nation. In his book, Lament for a Nation, George Grant tells the reader that “…as Canadians we attempted a ridiculous task in trying to build a conservative nation in the age of progress, on a continent we share with the most dynamic nation on earth. The current history is against us.” (1965) Originally directed towards the Bomarc Missile Crisis, the book argues that whatever nationalism Canada had was destroyed by globalization as well as the powerful American sphere of influence. Although it is true that the book was initially written as a response to the events that took place in the late 1950s, many of the points are still valid today.
Over the years, historians have studied and argued over whether the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II was necessary. Due to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, and invasion in Hong Kong, Japanese Canadians were seen in the same light as the Japanese people who carried out those missions. As a result, over 22,000 Japanese Canadians were put into internment camps far away from their homes, from February 24, 1942 to 1949. While some of these citizens were japanese nationals, over three quarters were Canadian born, but without a doubt, they were all being associated with japan of the time, a country that would have been more foreign to them than Canada. Because of bias judgement and propaganda, they were being called “Enemy aliens”,
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.
The horrors of racial segregation during World War II have always seemed to be distant to many Canadians and looked down upon, yet Canada was home to several xenophobic laws and acts that were a violation of many rights and freedoms. One of the cruelest instances was the Japanese Canadian Internment. At the time, the government justified the internment by claiming the Japanese Canadians were a threat to their national security, but the evidence today suggests that it had nothing to do with safety. The government made illogical decisions in response to the mass panic and agitation in British Columbia. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King reacted passively to these decisions to increase his political popularity. Racial prejudice against