I have always felt that there will always be an undercurrent of racist attitudes and this is sparked by events such as the arrival of the Vietnamese “boat people’, the influx of Hong Kong ex-pats etc. Whenever there is an influx of visible minorities, this sparks a backlash against these persons of color. I would...Continue reading
Author: Kelvin Higo
Intermarriage
I think that the high rate of intermarriage is a reflection of our community’s desire to “blend” in with the rest of society. This is a result of being targeted during WWII and the dispersal of our communities to further their assimilation into the Canadian mosaic. Most other ethnic groups still hold onto their community...Continue reading
Growing up, parenting, and family relations
I do not believe that my parents or grandparents impacted the way we were raised. We did not experience any racist actions in school as we made up approximately 30—50% of the school population. Also when I returned home, my neighborhood was comprised of primarily Japanese Canadian families and so my social circle did not...Continue reading
Intergenerational trauma
I am not sure if I can classify anything that can be considered “intergenerational trauma” but I do think being incarcerated impacted on one’s thinking and actions. In some people it may have manifested in one’s feeling of self-worth as it was oftentimes reinforced that Japanese Canadians were less equal than others through the restrictions...Continue reading
Incarceration, dispersal and dispossession
I believe that the collective response by the Japanese Canadian elders was to forget this painful part of history. In some way they may have felt that they must have done something to deserve such unjust actions of the Government. I think this is the primary reason no one spoke about internment growing up in...Continue reading
Return to Steveston
I grew up at Pacific Coast Camp until we moved in 1967 to a home on Gilbert Road, in Richmond. Pacific Coast Camp – Cannery house in top right of the picture with the sloping roof is No. 12 where I grew up. Growing up in Steveston, I was not aware of the internment of...Continue reading
War years
When the Japanese Canadians were required to relocate a minimum of 100 miles from the Coast, the family decided to move to Alberta to work in the sugar beet fields. This decision was made so that the family could remain together as there was much uncertainty about the future at this time. (L) Yui Higo ...Continue reading
Family history
My grandfather Saiichiro Nagata Higo was born June 17, 1876 in the ninth year of the Meiji era. He emigrated to Canada in 1904 but later returned to Japan to marry Yui Higo (born September 30, 1886) in 1912. Both returned to Canada, residing at Acme Cannery on Sea Island, and Grandfather Higo became a...Continue reading