Japanese Holocaust In North Am Essay, Research Paper

A country s history includes stories of triumph and also lessons that are important to remember so that they will not be repeated. Although Canada was not a colonial power, its history is marked by the oppression of various racial groups. One of the strengths of Canada has been that people from various ethnic traditions have made contributions to the development and uniqueness of our national identity. From Canada s inception people came from different regions in Europe to start a new life, it was the first time that people of different ethnic groups were forced to interact with each other. In the late 1800s Japanese men were enticed to come to Canada, the initial aim was to learn North American customs and to return back to Japan. However; upon their arrival Japanese men were used as a source of cheap labour to develop remote areas of North America particularly in the west. It is within this period of time that we begin to see the discrimination begin against the first Japanese generation (Nikkei) in Canada.

During the Second World War, Japanese Canadians were persecuted and were the victims of national discrimination. Japan had entered the war as an ally of Germany and had bombed the United States. As a result of the bombing at Pearl Harbour the relations between Japan and the US deteriorated which had a direct affect on Japanese living in the States. The dietitian of US-Japan relation had some influence on the prejudice Japanese experienced in Canada. The Canadian government interned Japanese Canadians during World War II, because of close political ties and influence of the US. Because Japanese were racially, and culturally different they were viewed as suspicious within communities across Canada. The residents of British Columbia were not sure if national loyalty could be given to the Japanese population. The Japanese were seen as different, they had their own language and traditions which instilled fear among white Canadians who did not know how to relate. Today, it is normal to have interaction with people of various ethnicities however in this time period it was an unusual circumstance.

Discrimination can have many harmful effects on the targeted group. It may lead to alienation, violence and/or self-hatred. Canada has recently embraced a policy of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism advocates that differences in culture are recognized and to be celebrated freely. Where as the United States supports a “melting pot” philosophy, which suggests that everyone should assimilate by adopting a common cultural identity. This paper will provide a historical context of the Nikkei and the events that led to the internment of Japanese Canadians, it will describe how the Japanese were treated and finally what the effects were of the government s endorsed policy to persecute people of Japanese origin.

It is important to include the Canadian experience on the West Coast in the early 1940’s, because it illustrates a widespread pattern of racial discrimination. The first recorded Japanese immigrant to western Canada was Manzo Nagano in 1877. By 1901, the population grew to 4,138, mostly single men. These people were not true immigrants, but rather dekasegi (’leaving the village for employment’) who intended to return to Japan after a few years. There were very few women among the early Canadian arrivals. Although the Lemieux Agreement of 1908 limited the immigration of single males, it did not place a restriction on married females. Using the “picture bride” system, the men were able to arrange for wives to be sent from Japan and in 1908 picture brides began arriving. In 1913, a peak period, some 300 or 400 women arrived through this arrangement continued until 1928 when it was finally stopped. Immigration continued and so did antagonism and discrimination against the Japanese. In the two decades following the arrival of the first immigrants, the Japanese in BC who established themselves in mining, railroading, lumbering, and fishing faced severe discrimination. The Mining Safety Act banned Japanese from working underground. Those on railways were allowed to do construction, maintenance and dining car service, but were excluded from higher, better paid positions such as that of engineer. Japanese could seek work as cheap labour in sawmills and shingle mills, but were restricted from working on Crown land. Following the Duff Commission of 1922, licenses issued to Japanese fishermen were cut by one-third. This had a devastating impact on other professions which were closed to Japanese Canadians. Therefore, many Japanese turned to agriculture as the only industry which was open to them.

With the severe discrimination many Issei (second generation of Japanese Canadians) sent their children to school in Japan, but for those who could not afford this luxury, Japanese language schools were established in many communities in BC. Over time, as the Japanese communities grew, the Nisei (third generation of Japanese in Canada) had to attend both the Canadian public schools and the Japanese language schools. Like their American counterparts, the Canadian Nisei viewed themselves more as Canadian citizens unlike their Issei parents who were emotionally tied to Japan. By the 1930’s there were as many Nisei as Issei. In 1938, the Nisei formed the Japanese Canadian Citizens League to secure political and economic rights and to fight discriminatory legislation. Discrimination and prejudice was as harsh in western Canada as it was on the west coast of the United States, especially in California.

It is a known fact that the Canadian Nikkei were forced to accept evacuation and internment like their American counterparts during World War II. The discriminatory treatment and prejudice faced by these Canadian citizens, as well as the loss of their economic livelihood, is similar to what was happening to the Nikkei in the United States during the same time period. On December 7, 1941 the first Japanese were arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted police. In short the schools and newspapers of the community are shut down. Fishing boats and automobiles are impounded, radios and cameras confiscated, and dusk to dawn curfew imposed. On January 14th, the federal government orders the evacuation of all male nationals between the ages of 18 and 45. Many men resist the evacuation order, hoping to remain with their families. Those who do so are sent to a concentration camp in Angler, Ontario. One hundred percent civilians, guilty of no offense against national security, they are put behind barbed wire, subjected to forced labour and required to wear special issue uniforms-the circles on the men’s backs are targets in case of escape attempts. By July, 1942, the BC Security Commission decides to allow evacuation by family units and married men are allowed to rejoin their families, however those in Angler, remain interned. By October, 1942, 22,000 people have been displaced from their homes, torn from their livelihood, and stripped of all rights. Some were relocated to eastern Canada, some were interned in places like Angler, and 11,694 Japanese had been transported to the interior of BC-to places like Kaslo, New Denver, Roseberry, Slocan City, Lemon Creek, Sandon and Greenwood, and to Tashme, named after members of the BC Security Commission (TAylor, SHirras, MEad).

Unlike the American evacuation effort, the Canadian evacuation effort expected the Japanese to pay for their own internment. The BC Security Commission expected the Japanese to support themselves, so all property owned by Japanese was liquidated to supply funds for this purpose. Food and clothing allowances were made available depending on income, but food was expensive and wages were kept low because of public pressure-the Canadian government spent one-fourth as much per evacuee as did the US government during the war years. Like their American cousins the evacuees settled in, improvised and tried to carry on with their lives. The parallel to the American internment also extended to the recruitment of Nisei Canadians into the armed forces. Although there was opposition to the idea, much like there was in the US Army, some Nisei were allowed to join the army. Eventually under a quota system 150 Nisei were allowed to enlist and many of these volunteers were assigned to a special language unit, S2 of the Canadian Intelligence Corps. Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie, in August, 1944 said: It is a fact that no person of Japanese race born in Canada has been charged with any act of sabotage or disloyalty during the years of the war. In the final analysis, the evacuation and interment of Japanese Canadians was based on the same factors as the American experience–discrimination and prejudice. The United States, had some influence on Canada’s policy toward Japanese immigrants and Japanese Canadians, thus changing their status in Canadian society. One example is the Canadian government’s decision in 1925 and 1928 to revise the so-called Lemieux Agreement of 1908 in order to restrict entrance of Japanese immigrants to Canada, under the influence of the enactment of the American Immigration Law of 1924. American influence was perceived in the process of evacuation and relocation of Japanese Canadians during WW II as well. It is not deterioration of Canada-U.S. relations but the way in which the American government, under the pressure of the general public in the U.S., treated Japanese Americans, that affected the situations of Japanese Canadians. The history of Japanese Canadians is quite similar to that of Japanese Americans. The beginnings of their histories were almost identical and it is difficult to distinguish the immigrants to the one country from those to the other. Some immigrants to Canada had intended to go to the U.S. but stayed when their ship docked first at a Canadian port. Others made little distinction between Canada and the U.S., calling the two North American nations by the generic name, “America.” The economic situations of the receiving sides were quite similar as well, as both Canada and the U.S. were in the process of developing their economy, requiring the cheap labour of the Asian immigrants.

Although each nation s unique circumstance has differing affects on how Japanese Canadians were treated during the World War II period. Many scholars have argued that Japanese Canadians were ashamed of being of Japanese origin and had a sense of guilt, or felt they had to carry a stigma with them because of their experiences during the war, thus they felt that the best way to remove the stigma of their experiences was to lie low and assimilate. Some research has revealed that, immediately after WW II, many of them tried to remove themselves from the things that made them or made the people around them recognise that they were related to their Japanese heritage. Some even decided not to speak to their parents in Japanese. It was apparent that the internment affected people of Japanese ancestry, particularly the Nisei, in terms of their self-image and ethnic identity. Some Nisei describe their experience as “being punished” because they felt they had done “something wrong”. Some Japanese Canadians however, were more concerned with the situations of Japanese in Japan than their own conditions in Canada. They looked for ways to help people in war-stricken, destructed Japan and found that they could do so by contacting the organisation called the “LARA.” LARA stands for the “Licensed Agencies for Relief in Asia,” an organisation which collected and sent foods and clothing s to devastated Japan between 1946 and 1952. Actually, there were 13 organisations which were called LARA. Some were religious, some were social welfare and some were labour organisations, such as the Church World Service and the Canadian Council of Churches. It is quite impressive that many Japanese Canadians who had been evacuated and were still struggling to establish themselves in the unfamiliar environments, often experiencing difficulty in getting jobs, were engaged in such activities of helping people in Japan. More impressive is that immediately after the war, in which their identity was questioned in such a manner that can be called cruel, Japanese Canadians confirmed their ties with Japan through such relief activities, which is contrary to what many scholars have tried to present. By referring to the Japanese Canadians’ involvement in the “LARA” relief activities, shows that many Japanese Canadians did not have any sense of guilt or did not feel any stigma attached to themselves because of being of Japanese origin. Those Japanese Canadians who tried to discard everything Japanese and those who could not stop themselves from extending their helping hands to their “homeland” were both Japanese Canadians and both of them were under heavy influence of Canada-Japan relations in different ways.

It is known that the redress movement was concluded in both Canada and the United States in 1988, in September for Canada and in August for the United States. That is, in Canada, redress should be recognised as an issue for all Japanese Canadians and for all Canadians. It should be recognised as an issue of human rights. Political strategy directed from the Japanese Canadian community was also necessary. The agreement between the government and the NAJC (National Association of Japanese Canadians) was concluded at a time when official policy of multiculturalism was shifting in emphasis from heritage retention to equality of rights, such as the elimination of racism and other discriminatory barriers to full participation in the Canadian society. Since the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, there was increased official recognition of the problems of racism and other forms of inequality. The Canadian Multiculturalism Act of 1988 entrenched a policy of multiculturalism throughout the public service and the political infrastructure. This progress was supported and implemented by other legislation such as the Employment Equity Act of 1986 and the repeal of the War Measures Act in 1988. Even though some people criticise it even now as it has not reached the stage of correcting socio-economic inequality, by focusing on cultural diversity, and yet multiculturalism actually supported the Japanese Canadians’ redress movement in Canada.

To add one more element, that is “Japan Bashing.” This is something that shows such impact of international relations on people of Japanese origin in the post-war period and which illustrates the difference between the situations in Canada and in the United States. In Canada, while it is true that popular prejudice as well as statutory bias has abated or largely disappeared since the end of WW II, feelings of dissatisfaction and protest can still be observed among some Japanese Canadians, who claim they suffer from anti-Japanese feelings. Historically, the ups and downs of relations between Canada and Japan have greatly affected Japanese Canadian community, while Canada’s policy toward Japanese Canadians was often swayed by its American counterpart. They are not in the situation where they are forced to recognise their origin, as Japanese. Many people say that it is the policy of multiculturalism in Canada. On the other hand there are cases in which Japanese Canadians were influenced by deterioration of the relations between Canada and Japan. One of such cases, very well known, is the Canadian government’s decision to evacuate Japanese Canadians in British Columbia during World War II. Some people insist the term, “evacuate” would be too soft a term to describe the situation. What the Canadian government did should be referred to by the term “intern” or “up-root”. The reason evacuate is thought of as too soft, is based upon the fact that it does not have any consequences and or responsibility. It suggest that the Canadian government was protecting the population by relocating Japanese Canadians from the coast to the interiors of Canada. It is felt that justice will not be served, and the hardships suffered will not be forgotten, until the Canadian government is ready to take responsibility for their actions against the Japanese population during World War II.