The Japanese Canadian
Question: WWII

Japanese Aggression…
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Japanese expansion in East Asia began in 1931 with the invasion of Manchuria and continued in 1937 with a brutal attack on China.

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On February 24th, 1933, Japan stuns the world and withdraws from the League of Nations.

With Japan becoming increasingly aggressive in the
Pacific such as occupying Indonesia, parts of
China, the
Philippines,
Malaya, Burma, and Singapore, anti- Japanese sentiments are

The Tripartite Pact


On September 27,
1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Germany and
Italy, thus entering the military alliance known as the "Axis."

Embargo Against Japan


the United States,
Britain and the
Netherlands froze all
Japanese financial assets. The effect was to prevent Japan from purchasing oil, which would, in time, cripple its army and make its navy and air force completely useless.

Canadian Sentiment…
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At the outbreak of the World War II in 1939, the population of British Columbia included around 21,000 Canadians of Japanese origin,
75% of whom had residence rights.
Common belief held was that the Japanese are unable to assimilate into Canadian society as easily as those of European heritage. Prime Minister Mackenzie King himself expressed a belief in “the extreme difficulty of assimilating Japanese persons in Canada”

Japanese Bomb Pearl
Harbour!
 December 7, 1941, President Roosevelt declares it “The Day of Infamy”.

The Battle of Hong Kong


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

Do we need proof?




Japanese submarines are known to have been operating off the coast of British
Columbia
Although RCMP and Canadian military evaluations suggested no imminent threat by Japanese Canadians, this assessment is not universally accepted, as there exists no guarantee of the loyalty, or passivity of
Japanese-Canadians.

What should be done?




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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
The war offered a convenient excuse for Canadians to address the
Japanese Canadian question. 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.

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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 Canada’s declaration of war on Japan, what should be done with the Japanese Canadians living in
British Columbia?”

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 invokedthis allowed for the internment of enemy aliens


Take a stand…. what is more important:

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National Security

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Individual Rights

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

Japanese Internment in
■ The movement of 23,000 Japanese Canadians during
Canada
the war was the largest mass exodus in Canadian history. Internment Timeline
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1941 (December 8): 1,200 Japanese Canadian fishing boats are impounded. Japanese language newspapers and schools close.

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1942 (January 16): Removal begins of Japanese immigrant males from coastal areas.

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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.

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1942 (February 26): Mass