SEDAI

Books

• The Exodus of the Japanese, Janice Patton, 1973, ISBN 0-7710-1379-5

  This little book has a good description and explanation of the events of the forced evacuation. There are brief interviews and many well-chosen photographs. It is a fine starting point. It does not have information from government documents that appeared later. It does not deal with Redress.

• A Child in Prison Camp, Shizuye Takashima, 1971, ISBN 0-88776-074-0

  This semi-autobiographical book tells the story of the forced relocation from the point of view of an eight-year-old child, and, thus, makes it real for younger readers. Key facts are presented, although not analyzed. The main character, Shichan, while not understanding all that is happening, observes her family and community wrestling with issues such as, "Are we Japanese or Canadian? Should we cooperate or resist? Is it better to go to Japan or stay in Canada?" A fine coming-of-age tale that won a Canadian librarians' prize for children's illustrated literature, this book is highly recommended.

Web Sites

• Timeline
  http://www.explorasian.org/history_japanesecdn.html »

• Overview
  http://www.JapaneseCanadianHistory.net »

• See also these Links in the History section. Some of these sites may be too difficult for younger students. The Sedai website Glossary explains many key terms and ideas.

Student Activities Using Primary Sources

Open the "Sedai Archive" section of the website.

1. Look at all the photographs in the "Pre-War Photos".

   1. Make a list of the kinds of jobs that Japanese Canadians were doing before World War II.
   2. Write a brief description of one (or more) of the photographs and then write your personal comments about what you see.

2. Look at all of the photos in the "Internment Camps" section. (They follow the "Pre-War Photos".)

   1. What would teenagers like the least and the most about the experience of forced relocation?
   2. What would adults like the least and the most?
   3. Write a brief description of one (or more) of the photographs and then write your personal comments about what you see.

Go to the "Video Excerpts" section. (Note that there are transcriptions of the interviews available at the bottom of the page.)

3. Listen to the interview with Fred.

   1. When and why did his parents come to Canada?
   2. What negative and positive experiences did his father have initially in Vancouver?
   3. How did the attitude of Alfred Wilson and Howard Green contrast with that of Henry Angus?
   4. What happened to Fred's father when war broke out between Japan and Canada?
   5. What happened to Fred's mother?
   6. What happened to Fred? Why?

4. Listen to the interview with Mitsuyoshi.

   1. Why did he go to Japan after WW II?
   2. Why was it difficult for him there?

5. Listen to the interview with Pat.

   1. What happened to Pat when war broke out?
   2. What did she like and dislike about the camp at Slocan in the B.C. interior?

6. Based on the interviews with Fred, Mitsuyoshi, and Pat (and the others, if you choose to listen to them), what overall impressions do you have of the Japanese Canadian experience? Use at least three terms from the "Glossary" at the bottom of the page.

7. To what extent does each of the following terms apply to what happened to the Japanese Canadians? Explain your decision in each case.

   1. alien
   2. assimilation
   3. civil rights
   4. discrimination
   5. genocide
   6. incarceration
   7. national security
   8. prejudice

8. Write an imaginary letter from a Japanese Canadian in one of the camps to a friend of non-Japanese origin. Indicate:

   1. your age,
   2. what you and your family did before the attacks on Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong,
   3. what you are doing in the camp now, and
   4. how you feel about what is happening.

9. Draw a series of at least four pictures showing the experience of a Japanese Canadian before and during (and perhaps after) World War II.