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Canadian Women Are Now Recognized "Persons"
Back in 1928, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that women were not "persons" of Canada. This meant they could not be full citizens of Canada. But there was a group of women in Canada called the "Famous Five" who sought out to change that decision made by the Supreme Court of Canada by sending a petition to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. October 18, 1929, the Committee reversed the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada, that women would now be considered "persons" in Canada. -
Change
This was a big and good change that was made by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council because before that, women in Canada were not considered "persons" and they could not be in the Senate of Canada. This was good progress for Canadian women to eventually get the same rights as men and for them to be considered equal to all men. -
First Of The Japanese-Canadians To Be Enfranchised
Masumi Mitsui (picture below) was one of the few Japanese-Canadian WWl veterans who persuaded the BC government for their right to vote for their service during WWl. When he started fighting in 1916, he saw serving the Canadian military as a way for him and his family to obtain a Canadian citizenship and rights. His first attempts at persuading the BC government to let the Japanese-Canadian WWl veterans to vote were unsuccessful. But on April 1, 1931, the B.C. Legislature allowed them to vote. -
Change
This was a very significant change for the Asian community of Canada because Masumi Mitsui and the rest of the Japanese-Canadian WWl veterans became the first Asian-Canadians to vote in an election. This gave the Asian community of Canada hope that in the future, they would eventually be granted the same rights and freedoms as the white people living in Canada. This was a progressive change for not only the Japanese-Canadians, but for all of the Asian community in Canada. -
Continuity
This was continuity because the Indigenous peoples of Canada also fought in WWl and they were treated with little prejudice and racism when they were serving. The Indigenous men and women still saw it as a way for them to claim their warrior heritage and also as a way for them to get more rights and freedoms. This was the same continuity because the Indigenous soldiers during WWll had it the same as when they fought in WWl. -
Indigenous Canadians Join WWll
When Canada declared war with Britain in 1939, the Canadian government only wanted "white" and of "pure European descent" to join the Canadian military. But by 1942, the Canadian government allowed the recruitment of 3 090 Indigenous men and women to join the military because they were desperate for troops, and because they wanted to fight in the WWll. These Indigenous troops saw little prejudice and racism when they were serving in the military. -
Change
This was a very good and progressive change for the Indigenous peoples of Canada because back in Canada, they were generally treated as equals and there was a lot of racism and discrimination against them. -
Indigenous Canadians Treated As Equals In World War Two
The Indigenous soldiers who were recruited to fight in WWll were mostly treated as equals when they were overseas. There was little to none prejudice, discrimination and racism towards any of the Indigenous peoples and they were included in things, such as the photo used below. It was a good thing that they were treated as equals because if they were not, there would be backlash from the Indigenous peoples and they would stop supporting the allied forces fighting against the Nazi regime. -
Change
This was a significant event for all Canadian women because this was the first time that women were allowed to participate in the war as pilots and crewmates on ships. Women also were now finally allowed to actually go overseas and do their jobs there, but no women ever fought on the battlefield. This was still a very progressive change for women though because now they could finally participate in the war not just by staying in Canada and building weapons, military vehicles and ammunition. -
Women Join Canada In The Fight
When Canada joined the fight with Britain during WWll, women were really only allowed to be nurses and cooks. But women all across the country wanted and protested that they should be doing more, not just be nurses and cooks. On August 13, 1941, the Canadian government authorized the formation of the Canadian Women's Army Corps. It wouldn't be until March 13, 1942 that women could then join the RCAF and the Navy. No women ever fought in the battle field. -
Japanese Canadians Were Detained and Dispossessed
Before the attack on Pearl Harbour and Hong Kong by the Japanese, all Asian-Canadians were treated the same as they had always been. But when news of the attack came to Canada, the government issued laws and regulations that took away businesses and property of all Japanese-Canadians living in big cities and towns. The Japanese were sent to "work camps" and there were mass riots and uprisings against the Japanese people living in Canada and their businesses. One example of this was propaganda. -
Continuity
This was a continuity of already hatred, racism and discrimination of all Asian-Canadians, but on a much larger scale because the Canadian government was scared that the Japanese-Canadians would side with the Japan overseas and try to take over the Canadians government, so they responded in the way they did. This was a decline in continuity because the Japanese-Canadians had already experienced years and years of this and the way that Canada responded to the attacks was just more extreme. -
