Citizenship and Dispersal

Citizenship and Dispersal

Description

Title Proper Citizenship and Dispersal
Date(s) 1942–1946
General material designation
This series contains 10 textual records and other records.
Scope and content
Documents relating to various stages of Masanobu Kawahira's internment, including a letter to the British Columbia Security Commission from the Nisei Mass Evacuation Group, a notice from the Government stating that Mr. Kawahira's application to have his Canadian citizenship annulled was renounced, a notice of "registration of real and personal property left in Canada", before being exiled "repatriated" to Japan, and other documents.
Name of creator
Masanobu Kawahira was born to Torazo Kawahira and Yukino Naka, immigrants from Iyeimura, Ibusuki gun, Kagoshima ken. Torazo immigrated in 1907 on the vessel Shawmut, at the time his listed occupation was a miner. Torazo worked in a variety of seasonal occupations such as fishing and logging. In 1920, he was living with friend Iyemon Yanomichi at #220- Main Street prior to returning to Japan to marry Yukino. When they returned in August 1921, Yukino was pregnant and Masanobu was born a few months later on December 20, 1921 at 241 Hastings Street.
Immediate source of acquisition
The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research Collective between 2014 and 2018.

Structure

Metadata

Title

Citizenship and Dispersal
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.