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1877 marks the arrival of Manzo Magano, the first known immigrant to Canada from Japan.
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Between 1877 and 1928, the first generation of Japanese immigrants, the Issei, arrived to Canada. This group consisted mostly of young men.
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Along with the Chinese in 1874 and South Asians in 1907, in 1895 the Japanese were denied the right to vote thanks to BC politicians who wanted all Asians to leave the country.
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In 1907 the Canadian government limited the number of Japanese males allowed to immigrate to 400 individuals per year. Most immigrants after this law was established were women coming to join their husbands or who were betrothed to someone in Canada.
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By the year 1914, 10,000 individuals of Japanese origin were permanent residents in Canada.
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In 1928, the Canadian government lowered the amount of Japanese immigrants to be accepted per year to 150, however this limit was not abided.
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During the 1930s, the time of the Great Depression, Asians were only given a fraction of the amount of money Caucasians were when it came to social assistance, which only added to the prominent racial discrimination happening during that time.
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In 1931, after much protest, the BC government allowed the surviving Issei Veterans from WWI to vote, but no other Japanese people were given the right.
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In 1940, Japanese immigration to Canada was stopped due to Japan joining forces with the Axis Powers, while Canada was associated with the Allies. Canada claimed it was for security measures.
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In 1941, Japan bombed the US military base in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii.
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In 1942, BC politicians used the War Measures Act to force all Japanese Canadians living up to 160km from the Pacific Coast, to leave. Over 8000 of the 20881 people removed were sent to internment camps in BC, Manitoba, Alberta and Ontario. Those who resisted were sent to Prisoner of War camps.
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Between 1943 and 1946, the Federal Government sold the property owened by all Japanese Canadians and used the money to pay off the social assistance funds the owners received in the camps.
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On August 6th 1945, the US military forces dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb on Hiroshima, a city in Japan. This devastated the country which was already suffering from significant losses. Japan did not immediately surrender despite the extremely high death toll.
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Three days after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki by the US. Already devastated from the losses of the first bomb and from the overall war losses, Japan had no choice but to surrender. This marked the end of the war as Germany and Italy had already surrendered.
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In December of 1945, the Canadian Government forced Japanese internment camp inmates to choose between being deported to Japan or to be relocated to a questionable location to the East of the Rocky Mountains. Most chose to relocate.
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In January of 1946, Freedom of Press was restored in Canada, and thus the subject of deportation plans became known to the public. There was a large amount of protest coming from across the country, and so before policy changes were put in place, the Federal government quickly deported 4000 Japanese Canadians to Japan. The majority of these individuals were children or the elderly.
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On January 24th 1947, the Canadian Government cancelled the deportation orders for Japanese Canadians residing in Canada.
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In 1949 the Nisei Veterans from WWII were finally given the right to vote, as were all adult Japanese Canadians.
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In 1953 the Immigration Act was changed to be based on a points system favoring immigrants who were educated and came from developed cities. This allowed more Japanese people to begin immigrating to Canada.
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On April 14th 1988 the National Association of Japanese Canadians held a rally on Parliament Hill for redress of injustices committed during WWII.
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On July 21st, the Wartime Measures Act was abolished and replaced by the Emergencies Act, preventing discrimination under the guise of wartime orders and providing compensation for victims of government acts.
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On August 25th 1988 the NAJC agreed to a redress package negotiated with the Secretary of State Lucien Bouchard.
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On September 22nd 1988 Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced compensation for Japanese Canadians affected by the wartime measures, consisting of money for all surviving Japanese Canadians who were alive before April 1st 1949, acknowledgment of Canadian citizenship of the deportees, pardons for those wrongfully convicted during that time and funds to go towards rebuilding relations and infrastructure damaged during that period.
