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Years of Sorrow, Years of Shame: The Story of the Japanese Canadians in World War II
Traces the basesless suspicions, discrimination, hardships and the humor with searing honesty, excellent book.
- GenresNonfictionWorld War II
370 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
4 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Barry Broadfoot
20 books10 followersBarry Broadfoot was an interviewer and history writer.
His historical research consisted of interviewing various Canadians from all over the country about their memories of their lives during specific historical periods such as the Great Depression and World War II.
In 1997, Broadfoot was made a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour.
His historical research consisted of interviewing various Canadians from all over the country about their memories of their lives during specific historical periods such as the Great Depression and World War II.
In 1997, Broadfoot was made a Member of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest civilian honour.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 10, 2024
It took me a while to get into this book but when I did I was appalled by what the Canadian Government did to Canadian citizens. Yes, it was wartime and Japan was the enemy but so where the Germans and Italians and as far as I know there were no internment camps for them. Of course not, because they were caucasian. The more I read about Canada's past the more I see the racism and bigotry of our ancestors.
At the end of the book the author lays out the question "Could this happen again?" sadly I think the answer is yes.
Next hardcover: "Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold" by Terry Brooks (1986)
At the end of the book the author lays out the question "Could this happen again?" sadly I think the answer is yes.
Next hardcover: "Magic Kingdom For Sale - Sold" by Terry Brooks (1986)
January 27, 2016
Basically, what happened in the US in relation to persons of Japanese ancestry happened in Canada with almost no major differences. There were similar racial and economic hatreds; similar fears, and a similar government reaction.
One of the actual differences simply lies in the number of camps. Whereas in the US there were around ten regular camps plus various FBI, Justice Department and military camps set up, in Canada there was Angler and various ghost towns. The evacuees were used to build roads, help the sugar beet crop and basically do the same kinds of things they did in the US. There was also the same effort on the part of the government to relocate the internees, spreading them throughout the country.
As in the US, most of the people evacuated and interned were citizens of the country.
The book points out a similar history of anti-Japanese feeling. In 1907 there were Oriental riots in Vancouver; somewhat of a misnomer since it was the whites who rioted, led on by a minister, and they sacked Chinatown. When they got to the Japanese portion of town, though, they met resistance and the riot broke up.
As in the US, there was the same type of discrimination in being served as blacks and Japanese Americans found in the US. One example given was when some Japanese Canadians tried to eat at a restaurant called The White Lunch and were met with the yell “Stay out of here, you Japs” from one of the cooks. In theaters there were sections (high up) for the Japanese Canadians to sit.
As in the US, persons of Japanese ancestry were forced to register and the community leadership (just as the JACL in the US) said to go ahead and do that, it will help prove how loyal they are. The still ended up being interned, though.
As in the US, Germans and Italians were not forced to register and were not interned in large numbers.
As in the US, without hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, persons of Japanese ancestry were being rounded up. Fishing boats were confiscated and livelihoods ended.
As in the US, evacuees were placed temporarily into horse stalls at Hastings Park, some 20,000 of them.
A lot of people were put onto road work, involuntarily, which helped to lead to a breakdown of the family structure. The roads were being built for military traffic.
A description of the Angler camp calls it a “prison camp” where there were guard with machine guns.
About 2,000 men were sent to the road-building camps; 3,400 were working in the fields of Alberta and Manitoba, and 1,000 were working elsewhere. 12,000 were sent to renovated ghost town at Sandon, Kaslo, Greenwood, Salmo and New Denver.
A parallel to the US plan to keep the Japanese Americans out of the west coast:
”It is vital to understand that the federal government had no intention of ever allowing the inhabitants of the ghost towns and camps to move back to the West Coast. On the contrary, th Japanese were to be scattered across Canada, each province taking its share-and thus would be eliminated the Japanese Problem in B.C. “
There was also a very similar military thing going on. In the U.S., the Nisei were not wanted as volunteers for the military at the start of the war; later, they were drafted into the military.
”Prior to Pearl Harbor no Japanese Canadians living in B.C. Were called up, and no volunteers were accepted. When Hastings Park began to fill up in early 1942 any number of young Japanese pleaded to join the army, even if they had to serve in a lowly labour battalion. They were refused. Instead, they were sent to road camps and ghost towns.
”But in 1944 the tide of war was changing in the Pacific and the British desperately needed men who spoke Japanese to be translators, interrogators, broadcasters.”
One problem, similar to that in the US, was that many of the Nisei did not speak Japanese and had to be given lessons. Unlike in the US, the fact that there were Nisei working in the Canadian military was not publicized until Sept. of 1945.
On August 4, 1944, the Prime Minister of Canada said that “no act of subversion or sabotage had been found before or during the war by the Japanese [Canadians]”. Exactly the same thing that happened, or didn't happen, in the US. At least in Canada they didn't have any officials saying things like “since there's been no sabotage then that's proof that there will be.”
Around 3,700 Japanese nationals in Canada repatriated to Japan in a program that was poorly run and extremely confusing.
Before the war there were 22,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia. Afterwards, there were only 7,000, the rest being dispersed throughout Canada or returned to Japan.
One of the actual differences simply lies in the number of camps. Whereas in the US there were around ten regular camps plus various FBI, Justice Department and military camps set up, in Canada there was Angler and various ghost towns. The evacuees were used to build roads, help the sugar beet crop and basically do the same kinds of things they did in the US. There was also the same effort on the part of the government to relocate the internees, spreading them throughout the country.
As in the US, most of the people evacuated and interned were citizens of the country.
The book points out a similar history of anti-Japanese feeling. In 1907 there were Oriental riots in Vancouver; somewhat of a misnomer since it was the whites who rioted, led on by a minister, and they sacked Chinatown. When they got to the Japanese portion of town, though, they met resistance and the riot broke up.
As in the US, there was the same type of discrimination in being served as blacks and Japanese Americans found in the US. One example given was when some Japanese Canadians tried to eat at a restaurant called The White Lunch and were met with the yell “Stay out of here, you Japs” from one of the cooks. In theaters there were sections (high up) for the Japanese Canadians to sit.
As in the US, persons of Japanese ancestry were forced to register and the community leadership (just as the JACL in the US) said to go ahead and do that, it will help prove how loyal they are. The still ended up being interned, though.
As in the US, Germans and Italians were not forced to register and were not interned in large numbers.
As in the US, without hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, persons of Japanese ancestry were being rounded up. Fishing boats were confiscated and livelihoods ended.
As in the US, evacuees were placed temporarily into horse stalls at Hastings Park, some 20,000 of them.
A lot of people were put onto road work, involuntarily, which helped to lead to a breakdown of the family structure. The roads were being built for military traffic.
A description of the Angler camp calls it a “prison camp” where there were guard with machine guns.
About 2,000 men were sent to the road-building camps; 3,400 were working in the fields of Alberta and Manitoba, and 1,000 were working elsewhere. 12,000 were sent to renovated ghost town at Sandon, Kaslo, Greenwood, Salmo and New Denver.
A parallel to the US plan to keep the Japanese Americans out of the west coast:
”It is vital to understand that the federal government had no intention of ever allowing the inhabitants of the ghost towns and camps to move back to the West Coast. On the contrary, th Japanese were to be scattered across Canada, each province taking its share-and thus would be eliminated the Japanese Problem in B.C. “
There was also a very similar military thing going on. In the U.S., the Nisei were not wanted as volunteers for the military at the start of the war; later, they were drafted into the military.
”Prior to Pearl Harbor no Japanese Canadians living in B.C. Were called up, and no volunteers were accepted. When Hastings Park began to fill up in early 1942 any number of young Japanese pleaded to join the army, even if they had to serve in a lowly labour battalion. They were refused. Instead, they were sent to road camps and ghost towns.
”But in 1944 the tide of war was changing in the Pacific and the British desperately needed men who spoke Japanese to be translators, interrogators, broadcasters.”
One problem, similar to that in the US, was that many of the Nisei did not speak Japanese and had to be given lessons. Unlike in the US, the fact that there were Nisei working in the Canadian military was not publicized until Sept. of 1945.
On August 4, 1944, the Prime Minister of Canada said that “no act of subversion or sabotage had been found before or during the war by the Japanese [Canadians]”. Exactly the same thing that happened, or didn't happen, in the US. At least in Canada they didn't have any officials saying things like “since there's been no sabotage then that's proof that there will be.”
Around 3,700 Japanese nationals in Canada repatriated to Japan in a program that was poorly run and extremely confusing.
Before the war there were 22,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia. Afterwards, there were only 7,000, the rest being dispersed throughout Canada or returned to Japan.
October 19, 2024
My dad’s parents were Japanese, born in Canada, and were Canadian citizens.
When I learned in high school about the internment, I asked my grandma about it. She had never mentioned it.
She went and got her copy of this book, handed it to me, and said “It was just like this.”
It was mind blowing to read what the Canadian government had done to its own citizens - taking away everything they had, breaking up families, imprisoning them in camps. These stories helped me understand my grandparents so much better.
I’ve since read all of Barry Broadfoot’s books and they are spectacular. Highly recommend.
When I learned in high school about the internment, I asked my grandma about it. She had never mentioned it.
She went and got her copy of this book, handed it to me, and said “It was just like this.”
It was mind blowing to read what the Canadian government had done to its own citizens - taking away everything they had, breaking up families, imprisoning them in camps. These stories helped me understand my grandparents so much better.
I’ve since read all of Barry Broadfoot’s books and they are spectacular. Highly recommend.
June 4, 2017
Interesting and strange to hear quotes from unnamed people providing different perspectives on their experiences.
November 3, 2014
This is an extremely satisfying book comprised of interviews that the author initially did with the intention of including them in "Ten Lost Years." It is quite amazing that this book works so well. Broadfoot was trying to write a book about how Canadians experienced the great depression. He discovered after he was done that he also had the material for a second book dealing with the way in which Japanese Canadians experienced internment during World War II.
Somehow a technique and an interview script intended for one purpose functioned perfectly for a different one. The success of this book is a great testament to Broadfoot's skill. He simply guides his interviewees as they tell their own stories. He appears to make not the slightest effort to direct the conversation along his own line of interest.
Years of Sorrow, Years of Shame will be a great pleasure to anyone who has ever known any of the Japanese Internees. It would be better to read either Ken Adachi's "Enemy that never was" or Michi Nishiura Weglyn's "Years of Infamy" first.
This book will be of equal interest to Americans curious about their internment. The Canadian and American internments functioned in highly similar manner and took place in what was effectively the same cultural context.
Somehow a technique and an interview script intended for one purpose functioned perfectly for a different one. The success of this book is a great testament to Broadfoot's skill. He simply guides his interviewees as they tell their own stories. He appears to make not the slightest effort to direct the conversation along his own line of interest.
Years of Sorrow, Years of Shame will be a great pleasure to anyone who has ever known any of the Japanese Internees. It would be better to read either Ken Adachi's "Enemy that never was" or Michi Nishiura Weglyn's "Years of Infamy" first.
This book will be of equal interest to Americans curious about their internment. The Canadian and American internments functioned in highly similar manner and took place in what was effectively the same cultural context.
Currently reading
September 22, 2012I started this one a while ago, but had to put it down as I kept getting to angry at what happened to my Dad and his family back during and leading up to WWII.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews