The systematic dismantling of Japanese Canadian lives during World War II
In short: Between 1942 and 1949, the Canadian government forcibly relocated over 22,000 people of Japanese ancestry. This was not merely a matter of movement; it involved the seizure of homes, businesses, and personal belongings, driven by deep-seated racial tensions and the geopolitical shifts of the Pacific War.
The internment was rooted in long-standing prejudices in British Columbia that predated the war. Since the 1858 Gold Rush, Asian immigrants faced fears regarding economic competition and cultural differences. By the early 1900s, groups like the Asiatic Exclusion League actively campaigned against Japanese immigration, even inciting riots in Vancouver in 1907. These tensions were exacerbated by legislative shifts, such as the 1923 requirement for fishing licenses that effectively barred first-generation Issei from the industry, pushing many into farming and small businesses.
When the Pacific War erupted following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the Canadian government utilized the War Measures Act to categorize all Japanese Canadians as enemy aliens, regardless of their citizenship. Following an order in February 1942, the government began removing persons of Japanese origin from a protected zone along the coast. This process saw the impounding of 1,200 fishing vessels and the seizure of property to fund the internees' own basic needs. While some officials, like Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside, argued for the distinction between foreign nationals and Canadian citizens, the removal proceeded.
The displacement evolved through several stages. Initially, many were sent to camps in the British Columbia Interior, but by August 1944, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King announced a policy to move them even further east, beyond the Rocky Mountains, under threat of deportation to Japan. It was not until April 1, 1949, that the 'protected zone' restrictions were fully lifted. Decades later, on September 22, 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney issued a formal apology and established a compensation package, including $21,000 to each surviving internee, alongside the reinstatement of citizenship for those deported.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Internment of Japanese Canadians
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