Overview
Why
The internment of Japanese Canadians is a black mark on the history of a nation that prides itself on its ethnic diversity and 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 its citizens participate actively to protect the rights of others.
The internment of Japanese Canadians was not an accident or a mere coincidence of wartime decisions made under duress or out of necessity. Life altering decisions were made with little regard to the guilt or innocence of the victims. The individuals that 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 actions of the government.
Throughout this unit students will be asked to recognize and question their own biases so that they will not easily fall prey to the stereotyping and over generalization which our leaders in the winter of 1942 used to justify their acts.
It is expected that students will develop a much broader understanding of human rights and why they are important. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other human rights legislation enacted since 1942 cannot ensure that future generations will not suffer such acts of discrimination. A well-educated, caring citizenry living in an open and just society, will provide the best measure of protection against the insidious nature of stereotyping and racism.
This unit covers many of the learning outcomes of the intermediate Social Studies curriculum, Historical Thinking concepts, and Social Responsibility including:
The internment of Japanese Canadians was not an accident or a mere coincidence of wartime decisions made under duress or out of necessity. Life altering decisions were made with little regard to the guilt or innocence of the victims. The individuals that 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 actions of the government.
Throughout this unit students will be asked to recognize and question their own biases so that they will not easily fall prey to the stereotyping and over generalization which our leaders in the winter of 1942 used to justify their acts.
It is expected that students will develop a much broader understanding of human rights and why they are important. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other human rights legislation enacted since 1942 cannot ensure that future generations will not suffer such acts of discrimination. A well-educated, caring citizenry living in an open and just society, will provide the best measure of protection against the insidious nature of stereotyping and racism.
This unit covers many of the learning outcomes of the intermediate Social Studies curriculum, Historical Thinking concepts, and Social Responsibility including:
- content information about the internment of Japanese Canadians and the knowledge about significant consequences for many families in British Columbia.
- an understanding of issues of human rights, racism, discrimination and the redress of Japanese Canadians, in order to realize how easily stereotyping happens and how dangerous it may be to remain silent.
- a foundational springboard from which to study other cultures that form our multicultural Canada of today.