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How Is The Government Justified In The Treatment Of Japanese Canadians During The 1940's

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Tony Robbins once said “A decision made from fear is always the wrong decision” which is a statement that fully encapsulates the government's treatment of Japanese Canadians in the 1940s. The Second World War was extremely important to Canada and therefore its citizens. Propaganda was a powerful weapon used to demonize all of the opposition, including the Japanese. However, the fear then extended to Japanese Canadian citizens who did not even have anything to do with the actions of people in Japan. The prejudices towards Japanese Canadians existed ever since they arrived in Canada but the propaganda heightened them to the point where the general public was worried they were a threat. However, this then led to the government taking away and …show more content…

The Canadian Government was not justified in its treatment of Japanese Canadians during the 1940’s as the government acted due to fear and prejudice rather than factual evidence. They were not a safety issue as it was proven even at the time that there was no security threat, the government itself realized it was not acceptable, and the fact that the injustice continued even after the war was over and a security threat was not even possible

Although at the time there was a strong anti-Japnese sentiment which was heightened by propaganda, there were still high-level officials who believed in facts on why the treatment was unjustified and unacceptable in opposition to the government. The RCMP who were very concerned regarding the safety of the country found no evidence after conducting a search on Japanese Canadians. Stuart Wood, a RCMP commissioner, stated in a confidential letter, “ We have had no evidence of espionage or sabotage among the Japanese in British Columbia” (Wood). Wood published a report on Japanese Canadians and found no evidence. In addition, the …show more content…

The government dissertation and selling of the property owned by Japanese Canadians not only had no connection to the war but also was not even supported by the War Measures Act. “The War Measures Act was a federal law. It was passed by Parliament on 22 August 1914. The Act gave the federal government broad powers to maintain security and order during “war, invasion or insurrection.” (War Measures). The government argued that the war measures act made the treat of Japanese Canadians both legal and justified however, deportation and dissertation of their property have no correlation as both were done with no basis as there was no security threat and continued even after the war was done and it was not even possible for there to be a threat. In 1988 the government both acknowledged and condemned their actions towards the Japanese Canadian citizens during the 1940s. Brian Mulroney, the prime minister at the time stated, “I know that I speak for members on all sides in offering Japanese Canadians the formal and sincere apologies of the parliament for those past injustices against them (Archives). The government itself was the main perpetrator of the injustices faced by the Japanese Canadians and by stating that the treatment was “unjust” it shows how even the government has accepted guilt for the situation

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