Tojiro Nakano Mental Health Case File

Warning

The LOI Research Team has flagged this record for containing sensitive information. This record contains the following sensitivities:

  • Details or graphic images of serious illness (mental or physical) or mortality of identifiable individual(s).
  • Could cause undue or disproportionate dishonour / embarrassment to self or family.

Tojiro Nakano Mental Health Case File

Description

Title Proper 93-5683 BOX 0001 FILE 21961
Date(s) 1942
General material designation
This file contains a textual record.
Scope and content
Tojiro Nakano was first admitted to Essondale on 14 September 1942, and discharged 28 December 1942. He was admitted to BCSC Hospital at Slocan on 15 July 1944, and readmitted to Essondale from Slocan on 21 July 1944. This patient had limited English skills, making communication difficult. This file contains letters between the hospital and his son and daughter concerning getting the father to leave the hospital and come live with his son in Geraldtown, Ontario - however conditions in Ontario were inadequate until August 1948. The patient consistently requests to leave and live with his family: "His family has been writing from Ontario about his condition and they are willing to take him home. However, at the present time [May 1947] they have no room as they live in a little one room hut and will let us know as soon as they get another building so that the patient can be transferred.” His "Psychiatric Social History" chart details the death of his wife and son as contributing factors in his mental condition as well as the forced removal and dispossession: "after evacuation these conditions became worse.” The patient owned a general store for over 30 years in Cumberland. After forced removal "he worked at Slocan from July 28th, 1942, to September 11th, 1942, as janitor. Quit work as his mental condition developed about this time" and was subsequently admitted to hospital.
Name of creator
British Columbia. Mental Health Services created this archive which were transferred to the BC Archives from 1987 to 2000.
Immediate source of acquisition
The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective between 2014 and 2018.
This record was digitized selectively.

Metadata

Title

Tojiro Nakano Mental Health Case File
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Terminology

Readers of these historical materials will encounter derogatory references to Japanese Canadians and euphemisms used to obscure the intent and impacts of the internment and dispossession. While these are important realities of the history, the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective urges users to carefully consider their own terminological choices in writing and speaking about this topic today as we confront past injustice. See our statement on terminology, and related sources here.