Posted in Nisei

Post war life

When the war ended, my family was already east of the Rockies in Winnipeg. The Japanese community was not large in Winnipeg. We all knew each other. After a while, many of my mother’s former neighbours from Mount Lehman and her very good friends left Winnipeg to go to Ontario where opportunities for work were...Continue reading

Posted in Sansei

Language Classes

I’m sure my parents wanted us kids to learn to speak Japanese in the hopes that we might develop an interest Japanese culture. Growing up, my sisters and I were forced to attend Saturday morning Japanese language classes at Kitsilano Community Centre for about five seemingly extra long years. For me, that was from ages...Continue reading

Posted in Sansei

How would you describe your relationship to the 1940s incarceration, dispersal, and dispossession of Japanese Canadians?

My relationship to the 1940’s incarceration, dispersal and dispossession has changed,  deepened  and evolved over time. My mother spoke about being  “evacuated” from the Coast and “interned” for as far back as I can remember in dinner time conversation.  I didn’t ask all the questions of my parents that now, I wish I had.  Their...Continue reading

Posted in Sansei

Intermarriage

Since the internment and subsequent dispersal of the JC community greatly served to weaken cultural and language bonds, and integrate JCs into the larger, English-speaking Caucasian population, it’s no surprise that there is such a high out-marriage rate among JCs. When I was growing up, there were hardly any other JCs in my high school,...Continue reading

Posted in Nisei

When a Language Dies

“When a language dies. We lose cultures, entire civilizations but also we lose people. We lose perspectives, ideas, opinions, most importantly we lose a unique way of being human.” Trevor English: “What Happens When a Language Dies and is Forgotten” It’s only been in the recent past, since Redress mainly, that I’ve been looking seriously...Continue reading

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