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Japanese Canadians Japanese Canadians Have Lived in Canada Since the 1870S, Mostly in British Columbia

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Japanese Canadians Japanese Canadians Have Lived in Canada Since the 1870S, Mostly in British Columbia Context card EC 99671- JC (03/2020) Case study: Japanese Canadians Japanese Canadians have lived in Canada since the 1870s, mostly in British Columbia. In this province, they worked as fishers, farmers and business owners. Due to racism, the British Columbia government banned Japanese Canadians who lived there from voting in provincial elections. This ban also affected their right to vote in federal elections. Canada fought with Japan in the Second World War (1939–1945). During this time, Japanese Canadians lost even more democratic rights. The government thought that Japanese Canadians threatened Canada’s security and forced them to move away from the Pacific Coast. They could not vote in federal elections, no matter which province they lived in. Japanese Canadians were finally allowed to vote in all federal and provincial elections in 1948. In the years that followed, Japanese Canadians asked for an apology. They finally got one in 1988, when the federal government formally Source: CWM 20150279-001_p21, George Metcalf Archival apologized for past wrongs. Collection, Canadian War Museum Context Cards_Language Learner_EN.indd 1 2020-03-05 12:58 PM Japanese Japanese 1871 Canadians 1895 Canadians Source: Image C-07918 courtesy of the Royal BC Museum and Archives British Columbia joins Confederation – it becomes part of Canada. Canada now includes a small population of Japanese Canadians. They have Source: JCCC Original Photographic Collection, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 2001.4.119 the right to vote in provincial and federal elections if they: The British Columbia government passes a law • are male, that bans Japanese Canadians from voting in • are age 21 or older, and provincial elections. Why? Because racist beliefs • own property. were common in the province at that time. Japanese Japanese 1900 Canadians 1917 Canadians Source: Yoshimaru Abe Collection, Nikkei National Museum, 2013.54.4 Tomekichi Homma wants the right to vote in the Source: Masumi Mitsui Collection, Nikkei National Museum, 2014.10.1.10 British Columbia elections. He takes his legal fight all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. During the First World War, Japanese Canadians The Supreme Court rules in his favour, saying he join the military to fight for Canada. These soldiers should have the right to vote. This decision is later and all Canadian military are given the right to vote overruled in England. So, he is not successful. in the 1917 election. Japanese Japanese 1920 Canadians 1936 Canadians Source: Isami (Sam) Okamoto Collection, Nikkei National Museum, 2000.14.1.1.1 Source: William James Topley, Library and Archives Canada, PA-028129 The Japanese Canadian Citizens League sends a delegation to the House of Commons to ask for Prime Minister Robert Borden’s government passes the right to vote. Prime Minister Mackenzie King a new federal election law: if a province does not says he did not know they wanted to vote. allow people to vote because of their race, those people can’t vote in federal elections, either. This The League speaks before a special committee, law means that Japanese Canadians in British but doesn’t get the federal vote for Japanese Columbia lose their right to vote in federal elections. Canadians. Japanese Japanese 1941 Canadians 1948 Canadians Source: Tak Toyota, Library and Archives Canada, C-046350 After Japan attacks Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Canada declares war against Japan. Many Canadians see Japanese Canadians as a security threat. Racism against Japanese Canadians Source: Canadian Centennial Collection, Nikkei National Museum, gets worse. 2010.23.2.4.666 Twelve weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, After the Second World War ends, Parliament the Government of Canada orders all Japanese gives Japanese Canadians the right to vote in Canadians to be moved from the British Columbia federal elections again. coast. They are forced to live under guard in camps away from everyone else. Japanese 1988 Canadians Source: The Canadian Press / Ron Poling The Canadian government officially apologizes to Japanese Canadians for denying them their civil and democratic rights. Here Prime Minister Brian Mulroney signs the apology while Art Miki of the National Association of Japanese Canadians looks on..
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