The internment of Japanese Canadians is one of the biggest mistakes the Canadian government is making as a reaction to Japan’s recent attacks. Much of the west coasts’ population is Japanese, either immigrated from Japan or with Japanese parents. Due to my parents’ fishing business, I’ve grown up surrounded by lots of Japanese folks, all of whom are incredibly kind people who would never hurt a fly. Their internment is a direct violation of the “innocent until proven guilty” law, as they’ve done nothing wrong except be Japanese, as it seems. My own best friend, the son of one of our fishers, is Japanese and was born here, not even able to speak the language yet was still sent away. I haven’t heard from him since and I miss him every day. With nearly all the fishers gone, my parents’ business has been struggling and I imagine that many other businesses are as well. I fear not only for my family’s future, but for the future of Canada as a result of internment. I can only imagine the immense cost of running the camps and how much money, labour and resources are going in to fund them. We barely survived the recent depression and are still in the process of getting back on our feet, so I worry about whether Canada will be able to handle another burden on its shoulders. Although I understand the fears surrounding Japan’s potential threat against Canada, the internment of Japanese Canadians is a terrible solution. I see nothing good coming out of internment and worry for the future of Canada if we continue to allow fear to rule over our lives and control our actions.

Curricular Competency

I did assess and explained the changes the Japanese-Canadians went through. In my research handout.

I did assess and explained the changes the non-Japanese-Canadians went through in my research handout.

I made an ethical judgement about the action of internment the Japanese-Canadians in my paragraph.

Core Competency

I now understand what is important to me and I can explain my values.

I now understand and can appreciate diverse perspectives on issues and can resolve problems effectively and responsibly.

I can now understand and tell, after examining the facts of the possible threat from Japanese- Canadians in Canada and the opinions of various people, the difference between fact and opinion.