Japanese Manitoban urges Canada not to repeat racist history with Russian Canadians

This First Person column is the experience of Art Miki, the former president of the National Japanese Canadian Association. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.

My parents and grandparents were among the 22,000 Japanese Canadians who were forcibly removed from their homes and interned because of their race. 

I was five years old when our family was placed on a sugar beet farm near Ste. Agathe, Man., to fill the labour shortage because of the war. Why did this happen? 

Canada had declared war on Japan on Dec. 7, 1941, shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As a result, all Japanese people living along the coast of British Columbia were labelled "enemy aliens" and became victims of racist actions perpetrated under the War Measures Act by the Canadian government. 

Government declared that depriving the Japanese people of their basic rights was justified because they  posed a threat to national security.  

The government documents found in the archives became accessible to the public after the restrictions on censored files were lifted.

These documents confirmed that the Japanese people did not pose a threat to national security. Both the RCMP and the Canadian military recommended that removal of Japanese people from the West Coast was unnecessary. 

However, the British Columbia politicians, motivated by racism and economy — mainly because of the success of the Japanese in the fishing and farming industries — lobbied the Canadian government for their removal from British Columbia. The war became a legitimate excuse. 

I think back to the experiences of my family and the Japanese community.- Art Miki

After the war ended in 1945, the government's policy to repatriate Japanese to Japan became an issue with Canadian civil rights organizations, because the majority of Japanese were Canadian-born or naturalized Canadians. 

In 1947, then-Prime Minister Mackenzie King called off the deportation orders. But by that time, some 4,000 Japanese people, half of them born in Canada, had already been sent to Japan. The Japanese people who remained in Canada had to move east of the Rockies and were not allowed to return to British Columbia until 1949, four years after the war ended.

Permitted in Winnipeg

As Japanese Canadians moved into other provinces, they faced resentment, discrimination and racist attacks. Initially, Calgary and Winnipeg would not allow Japanese citizens to live in the city. 

By 1948 Japanese people were permitted to live in Winnipeg, but faced resistance and hostility. Some restaurants refused to serve them. They had difficulty finding accommodations and employment. They were harassed by Hong Kong veterans and looked upon suspiciously by others who had never encountered a Japanese person.  

In time, as the Japanese became known for their hard work and perseverance, Manitobans finally accepted them as people. It is interesting to note that it was Jewish and German companies that hired most of the Japanese workers. Perhaps they had empathy for the plight of the Japanese.

Today, as I watch the Russian invasion of Ukraine on television, I think back to the experiences of my family and the Japanese community and wonder how Russia's aggression will impact upon Canadians of Russian descent.

There is overwhelming support for Ukraine from the Canadian government and by Canadians in general. Will this translate into indiscriminate actions toward Russian Canadians, as some people will blame them for the actions of their ancestral country? 

There are differences in the present scenario from the situation with the Japanese Canadians. In 1942, the Japanese in British Columbia did not have the right to vote and were not considered  citizens. Secondly, the Japanese became easy targets, because of their visibility amongst the dominant white society. 

Many Russian Canadians are condemning the actions of Putin and expressing their loyalty to Canada.- Art Miki

On the other hand, Russian Canadians will have the protection of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to maintain their basic rights from any government actions toward them. Also, Russian Canadians look more like the majority of Canadians, and it would be difficult for Canadians to differentiate who is Russian and who is not.

No doubt, there will be acts of racism and harassment directed toward innocent Russian Canadians because they become easy targets and scapegoats for what Russia is doing to Ukraine. For example, Chinese Canadians became victims of racism because of the perceived origin of the COVID-19. As a result, anyone who looked Asian became targets for verbal abuse and other violence. 

Cherished freedoms

It is in times of crisis that the freedoms we take for granted and cherish can quickly be eradicated by actions of those who want to blame and expound hatred toward people because of their ethnic association. 

Many Russian Canadians are condemning the actions of Putin and expressing their loyalty to Canada. But unfortunately, not all Canadians will appreciate this. There likely will be attacks upon Russian Canadian institutions and individuals because it becomes a "blame game." 

Unlike for the Japanese Canadians before, today we have the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that will give some protection against severe violations and interventions. 

But this is no solace for the victims of racism. 

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