An Outdoor Group Portrait at Cumberland Public School; Cumberland, BC

An Outdoor Group Portrait at Cumberland Public School; Cumberland, BC

Description

Title Proper An Outdoor Group Portrait at Cumberland Public School; Cumberland, BC
Date(s) 1939
General material designation
This item contains a textual record.
Scope and content
This image consists of roughly four rows of children both seated and standing, arranged in front of the schoolhouse. The first row contains young boys in suits sitting on the left side and girls in dresses seated on the right side, all holding certificates in their hands. The second row consists of boys in suits on the left side, and girls in dresses on the right, in the center sit a man and a woman, separating the boys and girls. The third row consists of children standing, boys on the left, and girls on the right; the three girls in the center are holding something in their hands. The fourth row consists of men and boys in suits standing. On the leftmost edge is a man, four young boys, and beside them are six men. The man second from the right in the back row is holding a baby girl.
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

An Outdoor Group Portrait at Cumberland Public School; Cumberland, BC
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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.