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The Japanese problem

In the early part of the 20th century, Canadians often spoke of the "Oriental Problem". The term "Oriental" is generally referred to as anyone from Asia, but the Canadians were more concerned with the Chinese and Japanese. Presently, there are over 40,000 Japanese in Canada and over 15,000 in British Columbia. During the early part of the 20th century, these legitimate Japanese Canadians were discriminated against, and many unjustifiable acts were inflicted upon them by the Canadian Government.

The fact still remains that no other racial groups were treated anywhere as badly as the Orientals in Canada, especially the Japanese. For instance, very little was done to the Canadians of German origin despite the fact that Germany was our major enemy in the World War Two. This was due to the fact that they did not stand out in Canadian society and blended in better than the Orientals.

It was in 1877 when the first Japanese immigrated to Canada. They came to Canada (mainly to British Columbia) because work was easy to find. The fishing, farming and lumbering industries welcomed the hard-working Japanese immigrants. They also found that the climate and scenery of B. C. was similar to Japan and made them feel more at home.

The Canadian - Japanese Agreement between the two governments only allowed 400 Japanese workers into Canada per year. This was an attempt to reduce the number of Japanese in Canada and was later reduced to 150 workers into Canada per year and their families. Between the years of 1923 - 1931, over 2,500 Japanese immigrants entered Canada illegally and it is safe to assume that this was only a fraction of what it might have been had their entry been legally unrestricted.

In 1947, the Canadian Citizenship Act gave the Japanese citizenship in Canada which most of them were proud to accept. Still, the Japanese suffered from discrimination and racist attitudes from Canadians and the Government.

At the beginning of World War One, the population of Japanese Canadians was approximately 22,000 in British Columbia (and only 1,100 in the rest of Canada). Many Japanese Canadians fought proudly for Canada in World War One. They tried to fit into the country but at that time, racism wasn't considered a bad attitude, so the Japanese, as a visible minority, had extreme difficulties fitting in.

The Japanese Canadians, however, were quite effective in defending themselves from discrimination and racism. There was both domestic and international protection for them within Canada; they were reasonably well organized. A study in 1934 uncovered the existence of 230 Japanese religions and other associations ( 84 in Vancouver alone.) They were also able to form Ad Hoc organizations to help them in their political and economic struggles. For example, in 1926 they formed an association of Japanese fishermen to oppose certain federal restriction on fishing licences. The Japanese of Canada also relied on the government of Japan for a certain amount of support. The Japanese had become an ally of Great Britain in 1902. This alliance allowed their government to protect them through their ambassador in Ottawa (since Canada was a colony of Great Britain.) This process was used especially when the Canadian Government tried to pass law that discriminated against people of Japanese origin.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor at Hawaii. The day after they attacked Hong Kong, killing or capturing 2,000 Canadian soldiers. In January of 1942, the federal government of Canada took action and ordered the evacuation of the entire population off the west coast. All persons of Japanese origin - whether they were Canadian citizens or not - were forced out of the defense zone. The defense zone was an area that was most likely to be attacked. It extended inland 100 miles from the coast.

This evacuation uprooted 22,000 persons over a nine month period and cost the government 15 million dollars. It was the implementation of the Canadian War Measures Act which enabled the Government to carry out this evacuation. The evacuees were relocated in the interior of B. C. scattered about or placed in internment camps or work camps. The men were given work on road building projects, in logging camps, or on farms. For this they received a monthly wage with room and board and support of their family subtracted from their pay (or whatever other expenses they might have had).

The evacuees lost everything they had owned. Their land, houses, businesses and all personal items were taken or destroyed by the R.C.M.P. Their land was set aside for the returning veterans. Their fishing boats were immediately taken away and all their belongings thrown overboard or to the competition with the Japanese fisherman; entrustment of their land was given to the Enemy Alien Property.

Many families had been relocated, some to local areas such as Grindrod and Hidden Lake. Every family which was evacuated had to report to the R.C.M.P monthly as a government precaution.

On December 15, 1945, three Orders in Council were issued under the authority of the War Measures Act. These allowed the Minister of Labour to deport Japanese nationals and also natural born or Canadian citizens of Japanese descent. 10,000 requests for deportations were received by the government. 3946 Japanese were sent back to Japan, none of them (or so we are told) against their will. In 1947 these orders were revoked because of the thought that Canada was only using the deportations as a way of removing the "Oriental Problem" rather than it being a wartime security measure.

It wasn't until 1989 that the Japanese persons who had been affected by the Canadian Government's actions during WWII received compensation.

Steve Kenyon, Kerri Hallam
AlF School 1989