The Japanese Canadian Question: WWII

1
The Japanese Canadian Question WWII
2
Japanese Aggression

• 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.

3
White Board

• Which American Holdings did the Japanese take in
  the Pacific

4
JAPANESE AGRESSION Japan would occupying
Indonesia, parts of China, the Philippines,
Malaya, Burma, and Singapore, anti- Japanese
sentiments increasing
5
WHITE BOARD -What Nations were in the Central
Powers during WWI? -What Nations were in the Axis
Powers During WWII?
6
(No Transcript)
7
The Tripartite Pact

• On September 27, 1940, Japan signed the
  Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy,
• Join "Axis."

8
Embargo Against Japan

• the United States, Britain and the Netherlands
  froze all Japanese financial assets.
• prevent Japan from purchasing oil

9
Discuss

• Come up with 2 ways this actions could devastate
  Japan?
• How could Japan get oil with out buying it from
  foreign nations?

10
Canadian Sentiment

• 1939, British Columbia included around 21,000
  Canadians of Japanese origin, 75 of whom had
  residence rights.
• belief was Japanese are unable to assimilate into
  Canadian society as easily
• Mackenzie King expressed the extreme difficulty
  of assimilating Japanese persons in Canada

11
Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbour!

• December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt declares it
  The Day of Infamy.

12
(No Transcript)
13
The Battle of Hong Kong

• Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas Day 1941.
• Of the 1,975 Canadians, 290 were killed and 493
  wounded.
• A further 260 died inPOW camps in Hong Kong and
  Japan.

14
Loyalty of Japanese Canadians

• Japanese submarines are known to have been
  operating off the coast of British Columbia
• Canadian military evaluations suggested no
  imminent threat by Japanese Canadians,
• Many Canadians Feel no guarantee of the loyalty,
  or passivity of Japanese-Canadians.  

15
Discuss

• Why do you think Japanese were targeted at a much
  higher rate than people of German background?

16
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 invoked- this allowed for
  the internment of enemy aliens

17
What should be done?

• 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

18
(No Transcript)
19
Japanese Internment in Canada
The movement of 23,000 Japanese Canadians
during the war was the largest mass exodus in
Canadian history.
20
Internment Timeline

• 1941 (December 8) 1,200 Japanese Canadian
  fishing boats are impounded. Japanese language
  newspapers and schools close.
• 1942 (January 16) Removal begins of Japanese
  immigrant males from coastal areas.
• 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.

21
Conditions in the Camps

• Housed in huts with two bedrooms and a kitchen
• shared by two families
• No electricity or running water until 1943

22
Camp Conditions continued

• 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

23
White Board

• What other nations actions probably help justify
  internment?

24
End of the War

• 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.

25
Acknowledging Wartime Wrongs

• 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?

26
Watch

• Watch David Suzuki- Internment Camp (2
  min)http//www.youtube.com/watch?vIMk_RRO5ZUw
• Watch CBC News Apology to Japanese Canadians
  (4 min)
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vfxVZtQULIMQfeature
  related

27
TOWN HALL MEETING

• 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.
• 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 Canadas declaration of war on
  Japan, what should be done with the Japanese
  Canadians living in British Columbia?

28
Take a stand. what is more important

• National Security

• Individual Rights

keeping in mind that people make decisions based
on what they know at the time!
29
Activity

• In pairs, examine QUESTION 2 on the following
  worksheet http//www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca
  /history/history/debatingissues_ww2.html . With
  your partner, identify which arguments are for
  the Yes side and No side.