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japan s involvement and japanese-canadians during the war japan and italy were also allied with germany the canadian government became suspicious that those living in canada having japanese italian or german ancestry would become spies for the opposing side the most extreme restriction came to japanese-canadians when in december 1941 japan launched an attack against the united states at pearl harbour in hawaii many felt japan would cross the pacific again and attack canada or the united states canada was coerced into rounding up any japanese-canadians many of whom lived in british columbia as canada and the united states went to war with japan japan invaded hong kong where many canadian troops were stationed and subsequently killed also a japanese submarine fired on a lighthouse on vancouver island therefore thousands of japanese-canadians were moved away from the west coast into the british columbia interior the husbands were separated from the rest of their families all their property was taken by the canadian government to finance the war effort these people were never charged with anything they were released at the end of the war but didn t get their property back the final anti-japanese laws were abolished in 1947 canadian scientist david suzuki spent time in these camps during the war as a child and later helped to publicize his experience through his writings eventually in 1988 the canadian government formally apologized to all japanese canadians affected.

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david suzuki read the following article about another japanese canadian citizen joy kogawa who also wrote about her family and their plight in canada following the bombing of pearl harbour in december 1941.

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joy kogawa ­ the silence is broken joy kogawa was born in 1935 to japanese canadian parents her mother was a kindergarten teacher and her father was a clergyman she lived with them and an older brother in the residential district of marpole in vancouver b.c japan s bombing of pearl harbour in december 1941 happened when joy was six years old the home she knew as warm and full of colour became grey and lifeless her older brother came home from school fighting back tears because of other children s taunting was he a canadian or wasn t he on some nights there were blackouts all the lights had to be off so as to prevent any invading enemy aircraft from locating the city curfews were established and this meant that now no one visited in the evenings as canadian authorities began interning the citizens of japanese ancestry who were perceived as a possible security risk arrangements were made with neighbours to keep things of value then in 1942 the whole coast of british columbia was cleared of anyone of japanese descent boats radios and even cameras were confiscated people were fired from their jobs and small businesses were closed down japanese canadians were being put in the pool a hastily formed prison in the exhibition grounds in hastings park ludicrously while this was happening the 23 000 japanese canadian residents of british columbia were volunteering for the red cross buying war bonds and doing what they could to help defend canada all through the winter of 1942-43 the japanese canadians were forced to leave their homes men were separated from their families joy and her family were put on a train and shipped with other japanese canadians to slocan in the interior of british columbia a dingy grey log hut awaited them it was shabby the walls were newspapered and they lived there for the next 3 years in august 1945 the war ended joy and her family were told they could not return to their home in vancouver or to their old jobs there were told they must either go east of the rockies or to japan many families were not even given time to contact each other the government s dispersal policy attempted to keep the japanese canadians from ever becoming a community again joy and her family were sent to coaldale alberta a village close to lethbridge they lived in a one-room hut without water or electricity the japanese canadians in southern alberta were scattered about working as labourers in sugar beet fields they docilely did their work despite scorching heat in summer and freezing conditions in a brutal winter they did not protest joy kogawa is now a successful writer she has brought attention to the evacuation internment and dispersal of the japanese canadian community during that period in history and works to restore the damaged pride of a people who were immensely loyal to a country that betrayed them on september 22 1988 prime minister brian mulroney offered a formal apology and compensation on behalf of canada to the japanese canadians who were interned in these camps.

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canadians role ending the war during the war hitler and the germans tried to eliminate all jews this was known as the holocaust the jewish people were interned in camps had their property confiscated but many were murdered by the germans while incarcerated there canadians fought in many important battles during the second world war particularly in italy and normandy canada sent many infantry and airplanes to fight in the battles our air force became known as the royal canadian air force rcaf canada the united states and their allies struck the opposition by sending many troops to europe on d-day june 6 1944 this pushed back the german forces in the months to come the allied forces continued to succeed in their battles against germany in 1945 hitler sensed defeat was at hand and committed suicide as the allied forces made their way through europe they liberated the jewish people in the camps and the residents of the countries that had been invaded by germany in may of 1945 the germans surrendered the other major threat japan was devastated when on august 6 1945 the united states dropped a nuclear atomic bomb on hiroshima and nagasaki killing tens of thousands instantly japan surrendered in september of 1945.

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