Japanese Canadian Internment

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941—killing almost 2,500 people—the lives of Japanese Canadians living across the seas in Canada felt the horrific effects of the attack as well. Canadians saw Japanese people as a potential threat to national security within the country. Many Canadians withdrew their trust in Japanese Canadian immigrants, particularly those Canadians living in British Columbia where a large percentage of Japanese immigrants resided.

Life Prior to Internment

Life was already difficult for Japanese immigrants in Canada prior to the Pearl Harbor attack. The end of the 19th century brought a large number of Japanese immigrants to the coast of British Columbia; just prior to the outbreak of the war, approximately 21,000 Japanese people...