Japanese Internment Camps

Journal:
My brother Jimmy and I have been "invited" to theiskanagan Valley where we would stay temporarily.  The government is calling
them "relocation centers"  but my brother and and I have an idea of what these "relocation centers" are really about.  I think most Canadian born Japanese do, but people are afraid to talk against the government.  Jimmy thinks that we'll be sent to camps similar to the ones Hitler is sending Jews too.  And I believe he us right.  I font think they will starve and torture us, but we will be prisoners.  With all the anti-Japanese marches, Jimmy and I feared that if we didn't voluntarily go, that we would be forced to leave anyway.  So we packed some things and took a train through the mountains to the Okanogan valley.  Once we arrived Jimmy, myself and other Japanese Canadians were taken hostage.  Jimmy and I knew what was happening.  Before we knew it we got sent to concentration camps like we feared along with many others.  We are making sure to stick together.

We are living in over crowded army tents.  There are just men here. We do labour. Lot harder then running the restaurant back home in Vancouver.  Hours are longer too.  No families here so I hope families like my sister's are not in tents.   I hope what they have is more decent.  We are fed rations. I am neither starving nor full.  Again I hope it it is better wherever they sent families.  I can't imagine my poor sister dealing with two small children being fed rations.

I don't know what happens when the war is over. They took our homes, our restaurant and our bank account.  It was a small home and savings but it was enough I was planning to get married.  Now I don't even know where she is or how I'll provide for her when this is over. My family has been here for 3 generations.  Longer then many of these white Canadians and now my dreams and life are gone in a flash. This war is about protecting people from racism and yet they are commuting it on Canadians.  I would have fought beside them, but I wasn't Canadian enough to them.

Laura Newton - Special Jr Citizen.

Laura participated in her community from a young age and still does.

1. Annual Dylan Carr Memorial Citizenship Aware.  A bursary in her cousins memory to help subsidize an annual donation of $200 to a student (per year) with an outstanding commitment to volunteer work within the school community
2. Design and fundraise programs for disabled children. 
3. Going to the special needs teacher and volunteering to help work with dusavked stydents
4. Gather groups of students to be involved with disabled students; reading to them, feeding then and socializing with them just as Laura did
5. Volunteering with salvation Army, easter seals and world vision 

I designed this slogan for Laura cuz whatbsge did seemed to be small (Luke a cabdke flame) but it still burns and it changes peoples lives. She vrungw hioe and candles are a symbol of hope.  

The work I do with my mom doesn't bring the daily changes Laura's does (and I don't do as much as her), but I hope it will bring long term changes.

War Criminals In Canada

Most of the war criminals from world war 2 aren't alive today because WW2 happened 70 years ago making the youngest war criminals 88 years old.  But I think Canada should have had a government department focused on finding and tracking down all war criminals within Canada or whoever came to Canada and then sending them to be tried for their war crimes.  They could have had this department interview all survivors of ww2 to help with finding war criminals and exposing what they did to the public.  This would have sent a strong message to future war criminals of other wars and it could continue now to do the same to them.  Also it could help prevent and charge any Canadian soldiers communing war crimes against victims of war and against Women soldiers because this happens to and they get away with it.  If Canada had a department and a history of publicly embarrassing and charging all war criminals (even Canadian ones) it could help stop this from happening every time there is a war and show the world Canada doesn't stand for this.  Canada could start doing this now even though it should have happened after ww2.

Key question 20

My mom is Lakota and Cajun.  She was forcibly brought to Canada through a Canadian and United States policy of cultural genocide (united nations convention against genocide article 2e) with the purpose of assimilating Native children by putting them in foster and adoptive homes.  When a family was very large or traditional the two governments would flip the babies and children over the boarder to further remove them from their culture and families and make it harder to go back.  If they did this when the baby was first born (like my mom) this would cut off either governments responsibility to the baby by taking them before their birth was registered and so not registered to receive status (Canada) or CDIB (USA).  The policy to do this ended in 1979 in the US and 1985 in Canada however the family law act has provisions that make sure it continues.  60-90% of FN children are still "scooped" today.  In Kingston thus number is 70%.  My family is in Canada due to the genocidal acts of both governments.  The social workers, lawyers and policy makers in Canada and the US should be charged for war crimes.

My dads family is Algonquin.  But like most Algonquins living in Kingston's north end, in the neighborhood right around Regi they have no ties to the Sharbot or Ardoch Algonquins.  That is because they were always in this neighborhood.  They have been written out of history and out of their nation by the government to protect the first capital.  There is one line in the city's history mentioning the Indians north of North street.  My mom and I are working with a professor and some other people to further uncover this history and get me and all my cousins to be recognized like we deserve.

Causes and impacts of the great depression

Causes of the depression and why

• Over production.  Following the roaring 20's where people were buying mass amounts if material items companies produced more then was needed, people stopped buying things (or bought less) and companies had to close. 
• Inflation.  Prices kept rising but wages didn't keep up with the cost of living so people stopped buying. 
• Credit: people were buying on credit and later couldn't keep up and buying stock on margin.  Lots of 10% down, pay rest later.  It made a bubble economy.  
• Stock market closed.  The price of stocks declined and many investors lost money, sometimes all their money.  
• Drought.  The prairies experienced a 6 year drought, crops failed, they couldn't pay bills and many farmers lost their farms.  

Impacts 

• Young people.  There wasn't any jobs left for them. Thousands ride freight trains west looking for work that didn't exist but they knew their families couldn't afford for them to stay home.
• Families didn't have the money to pay rent of homes, food, clothes and bills.  Manybof them were sent to relief camps and children were often orphaned. Meanwhile the declining standard of living made life easier for the wealthy (unless they lost their company).
• Workforce.  With men losing jobs the workforce declined greatly.  Also many started unions to protect their jobs, declining wages and fought for social assistance.  30% of the workforce was unemployed 
• Immigrant groups.  Immigration dropped while deportation rose.  Jews and Roma were fleeing Nazi Germany and many were denied immigration to Canada.  A lot of people blamed immigrants and wouldn't hire them.  
• Single Men & Women.  Single men were denied assistance and forced to relief camps were they worked for 20cents a day.  This lead to the Regina Riot.  Single women were laid off in greater numbers then men, particularly from government jobs.  Thus forced many single women back into domestic service. 
• Farmers. Many farmers lost their farms and had to move to the city, where the workforce was already in stress (no jobs).  Farmers also fought for government relief and subsidized crops and insurance. 

Post war - car poster 1920

I choose the Maxwell.  It was geared to the average buyer while many focused on bring luxury vehicles for the upper classes

Bennett vs King

Bennett:

• Worked in provincial politics before federal
• Was prime minister for 1 term
• Conservative
• Opposed socialism
• Pro conscription 
• Didn't care about opposition
• Jailed opponents
• Died and us buried in England (only Canadian pm buried outside of Canada)
• Hated by citizens

King

• Had several degrees and PHd. 
• Prime minister for several terms
• Liberal
• Pro socialism
• Against conscription
• Worked to make everyone happy
• Died and buried in Canada
• Liked by citizens