Lesson 4: LEGACIES OF DISPOSSESSION
Landscapes of Injustice tells a story of the loss of home. It is about fear, racism, and measures taken in the name of security that made no one safer. It is also about the resilience of Japanese Canadians confronting injustice.
Visit our TimelineAfter the Apology Activity
Has the Canadian government been accountable for its actions against Japanese Canadians in the 1940s? In this activity students will examine the various steps the federal government of Canada has taken, since the end of internment in 1949, to compensate, apologize, redress and reconcile past injustices with Japanese Canadians.
SUGGESTED TIME: 120 MINUTES
Teaching Instructions
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Provide students with a copy of
Handout 4.6 Debate the Question
and the following Source materials:
- Source 4.12 A Post-War History of Japanese Canadians
- Source 4.13 PM Mulroney Apologises
- Source 4.14 Does PM Trudeau apologize too much?
Students will track their findings on Handout 4.6 Debate the Question and use this information to debate the question:- Has the Canadian government been accountable for its actions against Japanese Canadians in the 1940s?
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Assign students to debate one side or the other of this
issue.
- Provide the guidelines for the debate, and the criteria for evaluation Handout 4.6 Debate the Question
- Allow half a period for preparation and to organize the speakers. Students are only permitted to use notes from Handout 4.5 After the Apology and the source materials provided.
- Run the debate and debrief the most contentious points.