Why Teach About the Internment of Japanese Canadians?
The internment of Japanese Canadians is a black mark on the history of a nation that prides itself on its ethnic diversity, its tolerance and its multicultural policies. A study of the internment of Japanese Canadians raises many questions about human nature, racism, discrimination, social responsibility and government accountability. Our democratic institutions are not infallible, nor are they easily sustained. Silence and indifference are the enemies of a healthy working democracy. Through the study of the internment, students will come to understand that civil liberties can only be protected in a society that is open, and in a democracy where participation is expected.
The internment of Japanese Canadians was not an accident or a mere coincidence of wartime decisions made under duress or necessity. Life-altering decisions were made with little regard to the guilt or innocence of the victims. The individuals who made these decisions were unable or unwilling to assess the issue without bias or prejudice. Many Canadians reacted with indifference and did little to oppose the government.
About this website
The JapaneseCanadianHistory.net website is a companion to resource books developed with a Networks Grant from the Ministry of Education on the internment of Japanese Canadians from 1942 to 1949 and the attainment of redress in 1988. “Internment and Redress: The Story of Japanese Canadians” is a resource guide for teachers of grade 5 Social Studies, and “Internment and Redress: The Japanese Canadian Experience” is a resource guide for Social Studies 11 teachers. The website was developed to provide organizational support to social studies teachers and students in the K-12 school system in British Columbia.
Specifically, the website provides: