Department of External Affairs Fonds

Department of External Affairs Fonds

Description

Title Proper Department of External Affairs Fonds
Date(s) 1936-1964
General material designation
This fonds contains 69 textual records.
Scope and content
This fonds contains twenty-seven series of volumes including correspondence, reports, and documents pertaining to various topics associated to Japanese Canadians. These topics include the following: the purchase of property by people of Japanese descent; a protest of Japanese Canadian involvement in the iron, timber, and mining industries; the treatment of Japanese Canadians with specific reference to the Bird Commission; Asian immigration; internment; forced deportation; forced sale of property; plans for prisoners of war at the end of World War II; the Cabinet War Committee regarding the treatment of Japanese Canadians if Canada went to war with Japan; the Consulate General of Spain looking over the interests of Japanese Canadians; discussion of Canadian interests in enemy territory; the exchange of nationals between Canada and Japan; protest letters from Japanese Canadians in reference to their forced exile to Japan; government speeches pertaining to the treatment of Japanese Canadians during the war; documentation and early protests concerning the conditions of internment camps; reports discussing the rights of Japanese Canadians and Canadian loyalty; government visitation to Japanese Canadian internment camps and conditions, repairs, and maintenance of camps; a letter written by a non-Japanese man writing to the government to allow Japanese Canadians to join the armed forces; protest letters written by church organizations and individuals regarding the forced deportation of Japanese Canadians; the movement of Japanese nationals to Japan; the United Nations and petitions of Japanese Canadians against the Federal Government of Canada; and a publication from the Supreme Court of Canada regarding people of Japanese ancestry in Canada.
Name of creator
Immediate source of acquisition
The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective between 2014 and 2018.

Structure

Digital Objects (69)

Metadata

Title

Department of External Affairs Fonds
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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.