March 4, 1942
Under Order-In-Council P.C. 1665 Japanese Canadians are ordered to turn over property and belongings to the Custodian of Enemy Alien Property as a “protective measure only.”
The story of the injustice against Japanese Canadians in 1942 is Canadian history. 80 years ago, about 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forcibly uprooted, dispossessed, incarcerated, and exiled. The action against Japanese Canadians (babies to seniors) was a racist act not for national security. Senior representatives of both the Canadian military and the RCMP said that Japanese Canadians did not pose any threat to the security of the country. None of the 22,000 was ever charged with any espionage or as a threat to Canada.
The racism is not limited to 1942. Racism was prevalent against Indigenous peoples and racialized settlers since first contact. The incarceration that started in 1942 didn’t end until 1949, four years after the Second World War ended.
Throughout this year, the National Association of Japanese Canadians will be sharing some of the facts and stories from 1942. Remember so that the injustice is never repeated with any other group of people.
