Outdoor Photograph of Five Men Outside the Thunder River Road Camp Standing on a Wooden Bridge Over Thunder River; Thunder River, BC

Outdoor Photograph of Five Men Outside the Thunder River Road Camp Standing on a Wooden Bridge Over Thunder River; Thunder River, BC

Description

Title Proper Outdoor Photograph of Five Men Outside the Thunder River Road Camp Standing on a Wooden Bridge Over Thunder River; Thunder River, BC
Date(s) of material from this resource digitized 1942
General material designation
From this item, LOI has digitized a textual record.
Scope and content
This image consists of five men: K. Okui, G. Okui, Kawata, Okahara, and T. Minato posed on a wood bridge, part of the Pacific Highway, outside of the Thunder River Road Camp. K. Okui is wearing sunglasses and holding a hat in his right hand. Kawata has on a baseball cap and is holding a bat in his right hand. Behind them are four houses and one log shed. Written on the back is: "Thunder River, 1942. Pacific Highway" in English, as well as Japanese characters.
Name of creator
Fumiko Kawata was born in 1938 in Cumberland BC to parents Itoko and Yoshitoshi Kawata. Yoshitoshi's parents were Sowa & Kinshiro Kawata from Ehime prefecture. Kinshiro came to Canada as a farm labourer on the Empress of Russia Dec 19, 1922, his nearest relative at that time was Tomi Kawata of Yanazaki Mura, Nishiwa gori, Ehime Ken, Japan. Itoko and Yoshitoshi were born in Japan and remained Japanese Nationals.
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 in full.

Metadata

Title

Outdoor Photograph of Five Men Outside the Thunder River Road Camp Standing on a Wooden Bridge Over Thunder River; Thunder River, BC
Publication Information: See Terms of Use for publication and licensing information.

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.