After the pearl harbor attacks, the allied forces (mostly US and Canada) had a great fear of the Japanese, assuming they would attack and invade either the West Coast, or Hawaii. The Japanese were considered “enemy aliens” and were not to be trusted.
Canada feared Japanese spy attacks, whereas America feared Japan becoming a larger threat and an enemy, there was a fear of the unknown. Many of the reasons why the countries feared the Japanese was mixed with racism and paranoia. Today, although we are more educated about topics like racism, every day, we can still see this kind of example against Muslims.
In Canada, Japanese Canadians were forced against their will to leave the west coast. In 1942, under the War Measures Act, about 22,000 Japanese Canadians were required to relocate 160 km inland from the west coast. They would lose their citizenships and were deported back to Japan if they refused to go to the internment camps. And if they were resisting orders, they would be imprisoned in POW camps.
The camps were much like the concentration camps the Nazis used for Jews. They were fenced and contained many barracks where the internees would spend time resting. The meals were served in small portions, and most of it came from what was harvested in the camp. The conditions of the camps were horrible and devastating, not to mention, many of the camps were located in areas surrounded by forest or desert, so if anyone tried to escape, it would be a while before they could get anywhere close by for safety. The temperatures would also be very high, a pain for working conditions as well.
Just about 46 years after the first internment camps, each Japanese-Canadian survivor that was an internee was paid back $21,000 and in total only 12 million was paid to all of them. Apologies and compensations were made, but no amount of money could be paid to someone who was forced to leave their home and belongings and family for no crime committed.
Canada feared Japanese spy attacks, whereas America feared Japan becoming a larger threat and an enemy, there was a fear of the unknown. Many of the reasons why the countries feared the Japanese was mixed with racism and paranoia. Today, although we are more educated about topics like racism, every day, we can still see this kind of example against Muslims.
In Canada, Japanese Canadians were forced against their will to leave the west coast. In 1942, under the War Measures Act, about 22,000 Japanese Canadians were required to relocate 160 km inland from the west coast. They would lose their citizenships and were deported back to Japan if they refused to go to the internment camps. And if they were resisting orders, they would be imprisoned in POW camps.
The camps were much like the concentration camps the Nazis used for Jews. They were fenced and contained many barracks where the internees would spend time resting. The meals were served in small portions, and most of it came from what was harvested in the camp. The conditions of the camps were horrible and devastating, not to mention, many of the camps were located in areas surrounded by forest or desert, so if anyone tried to escape, it would be a while before they could get anywhere close by for safety. The temperatures would also be very high, a pain for working conditions as well.
Just about 46 years after the first internment camps, each Japanese-Canadian survivor that was an internee was paid back $21,000 and in total only 12 million was paid to all of them. Apologies and compensations were made, but no amount of money could be paid to someone who was forced to leave their home and belongings and family for no crime committed.