{"id":8004,"date":"2017-12-22T19:02:21","date_gmt":"2017-12-23T00:02:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/najc.ca\/?page_id=8004"},"modified":"2022-05-20T01:09:52","modified_gmt":"2022-05-20T05:09:52","slug":"japanese-canadian-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/najc.ca\/japanese-canadian-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese Canadian History"},"content":{"rendered":"
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      JAPANESE CANADIAN HISTORY<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Early History<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      During the Meiji era Japanese society became more liberal, allowing young Japanese to venture to other countries. The first known Japanese to settle in Canada was Manzo Nagano in 1877, although there were reported cases of Japanese fishermen shipwrecked along the coast of British Columbia prior to that date.<\/p>\n

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      Clockwise from left: Manazo Nagano (centre), Yo Oya, the first woman to immigrate to Canada (1887) and the mother of Katsuji Oya (below, centre), the first nisei. (Photos on right, courtesy Mrs J. Oya, London)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Waves of immigrants followed, young men in particular, to seek adventure, wealth and, in some cases, independence from family obligations. By 1901 nearly 5000 Japanese were living in Canada.<\/p>\n

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      NNM 2001-28-2-1-5.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Through the exchange of photographs and letters, single men arranged for brides from Japan. These \u201cpicture brides\u201d began arriving in 1908 and at their peak in 1913 some 300 to 400 came to Canada. As early as 1885 the Canadian government attempted to discourage Chinese immigration by applying a Head Tax, but such restrictions did not apply to the Japanese. Between 1905 and 1907, Canada saw the largest influx of immigrants. By 1907 the Japanese population rose to over 18,000.<\/p>\n

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      Most immigrants were farmers and fishermen; some were business people. Only a few were well educated and from the aristocratic class. Denial of the franchise prevented Japanese Canadians from the right to vote, from participating in professions, and holding public office.<\/p>\n

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      From left: Tomekichi Homma, Damage to Japanese Store During 1907 Anti-Asiatic Riots (top, JCCC 2001.4.2) loggers (bottom), family portrait.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      In\u00a01900,\u00a0Tomekichi Homma, a naturalized Canadian citizen, applied to have his name placed on the voter\u2019s list. His request was denied and so he appealed to the courts.Unable to enter the professions, most found employment in logging and lumbering, mining and fishing, while others started businesses. Anti-Asian sentiment grew within the white community, and on September 7, 1907 a large angry mob marched on Chinatown shattering windows, breaking into stores and frightening the residents. The mob then moved towards Powell Street, the home of the Japanese community. Pre-warned, the Japanese were ready for the onslaught and fought back, forcing the crowd to retreat. However, the stores and businesses were heavily damaged. This hostility towards Asians was an indication of the racism that the Japanese would face throughout the early period of history in Canada.To discourage Asians from settling and remaining in BC, the government passed laws discriminating against non-whites. In\u00a01908, with agreement from Japan, the government of Canada limited the number of male immigrants to 400 per year. No limits applied to women and children.<\/p>\n

      In 1931 Japanese Canadian veterans who fought for Canada in World War I\u00a0received the right to vote. They were the only Japanese Canadians allowed to vote.<\/p>\n

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      Japanese Canadian soldiers, World War One 10th Battalion. NNM 2010.23.2.4.551<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      On January 8, 1942 the Asia-Pacific war was seen as an opportunity to get rid of the \u201cJapanese Problem\u201d. The Canadian Government invoked the War Measures Act, stripping Japanese Canadians of their civil rights and giving the government unlimited powers that could not be challenged in court. They were labelled as \u201cenemy aliens\u201d and dealt with as \u201cpersons of Japanese racial origin\u201d.<\/p>\n

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      JCCC 2001.3.59.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Successions of Orders-in-Council were passed to further strip them of their rights. Six months before Japan attacked Pearl Harbour, Japanese Canadians over the age of 18 years were fingerprinted and registered with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. All Japanese Canadians were forced to carry an identification card until 1949.<\/p>\n

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      ID cards. From left: NNM 2010.80.3.3, NNM 2011.16.5.1, NNM TD 107.001.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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      WWII Experience \u2013 Internment and Dispersal<\/h2>\n

      On February 7, 1942, the government passed Order-in-Council 365 that created an area 100 miles (160 km.) inland from the coast as a \u201cprotected area\u201d. The BC Security Commission, a federal government agency, was empowered to systematically carry out the expulsion of \u201call persons of Japanese racial origin\u201d from this restricted area.\u00a0 Some from along the coastline were sent to Hasting Park livestock building in Vancouver.<\/p>\n

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      Women's quarters at Hastings Park. NNM 994-69-3-20.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Families were separated, men were sent to road camps or prisoner-of-war camps in Ontario. Some remained as a family and were sent to Manitoba (and Alberta) to work on the sugar beet farms where they faced meagre income for back breaking labour, inadequate housing, and cold winter months.<\/p>\n

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      Thunder River road camp. NNM 1994.51.4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Internment centres were created in the interior of B.C. where they lived in multiple family units that were hastily built shacks, tents, abandoned mining towns, and unused buildings. Living under these conditions, the internees suffered unimaginable hardships.<\/p>\n

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      Internees arriving in Kaslo, BC, aboard the SS Nasookin. NNM 2012-20-5.<\/figcaption><\/figure>
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      NNM 2012.11.75.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

      Properties left behind were to be held in trust but Order-in-Council 469 passed on January 19, 1943 authorized the government to sell the properties without the owners\u2019 consent. A loyalty survey carried out by the RCMP on March 12, 1945 guaranteed the expulsion of all Japanese Canadians from the province of BC. The ultimatum: move east of the Rocky Mountains or be exiled to Japan. Restrictions were kept in place for four years more years and Japanese Canadians were not allowed to return to the west coast until April 1, 1949. They received the right to vote in June 1948 federally and on March 31, 1949 in BC.<\/p>\n

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      \"Repatriation\" to Japan, Slocan, 1946. NNM 1996.178.1.33.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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      Renewal \u2013 The Centennial and Redress<\/h2>\n

      In 1977, the Japanese Canadian community commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the first Japanese immigrant to settle in Canada. Celebration events were held across the country as the community came to terms with its history, including the wartime experience.<\/p>\n

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      Japanese Canadian Centennial. From left: E2a-E6a 10; planting sakura in Oppenheimer Park, photo by Tamio Wakayama; NNM 2013.70.16.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      The National Japanese Canadian Citizens\u2019 Association was formed in 1947 to represent the welfare of the Japanese community. In 1980, with the name changed to National Association of Japanese Canadians, a movement for redress became a community project. With courage and determination our leaders persevered, overcoming innumerable obstacles.<\/p>\n

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      NNM 2010-32-124<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      On September 22, 1988 the Redress Agreement was signed by Art Miki, President of the National Association of Japanese Canadians and Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. The Prime Minister acknowledged the injustices suffered by Japanese Canadians. He characterized the treatment of Japanese Canadians as morally and legally unjustified, and called upon Canadians as a nation to face up to the historical facts of the incarceration , property seizure, and disenfranchisement, and pledged that such injustices would never again be countenanced or repeated in Canada. (House of Commons, Debates, September 1988, page 19499)<\/p>\n

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      NNM 2013.35.2.4.2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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      Japanese Canadians Today<\/h2>\n

      The redress settlement included symbolic individual compensation to those who were affected, and a Community Fund to help revitalize the community. Cultural Centres were built across the country and many projects were funded by the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation in the 10 years following Redress.<\/p>\n

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      Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre. Photo: Manto Nakamura.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Despite the revitalization of the community, the forced dispersal policy left the community with a high intermarriage rate that affected community growth in Canada. A provision was also included to establish the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. The Redress achievement gave Japanese Canadians courage to talk about their experiences and to regain pride in their heritage.<\/p>\n

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      Book launch at Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto. Photo: Steven Kaji<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

      Video \u2013 UBC Students<\/h3>\n
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