Pearl Harbour Attack: dECEMBER, 1941
On Sunday December 7, 1941 at 7:56am, Japan surprised the US by attacking their naval base in Hawaii. They arrived by aircraft and bombed all of Pearl Harbour. The Japanese launched this attack because they were eyeing the same land in Asia that the US was wanted. They had great ambitions on expanding Japanese influence throughout Southeast Asia and felt that the US was a threat.
The Japanese worked quickly and very effectively. Their plan was to attack and seize their targets until their opponents were worn out. The Allies did not rush to help the US in defending Hawaii because they were all concentrated on defeating Hitler in Europe.
When the US heard about the attack, they immediately sent ships, aircraft, and troops to the Pacific, but the damage was done. In just two hours, 2400 Americans died, the Pacific Fleet was crippled, and more than 150 air crafts were destroyed in the bombing.
The Pearl Harbour Attack had great effect on many Canadians. They became suspicious of Japanese Canadians, who were already treated as second class citizens. Canadians thought them to be the enemy – spies helping Japan defeat Canada. As the days passed by, more rumors were spread about the Japanese Canadians; each worse than the one before. Finally Japanese Canadians were forced were stay in internment camps.
Internment camps were very harsh. They lived in small shacks or makeshift houses. There was no electricity or running water and the houses were not built to withstand the harsh winter weathers. Men went to different camps than mothers and children, so families were often separated. Not only that, but the Japanese had to leave their possessions in a “safekeeping” of a government agent called the Custodian of Enemy Property.
Even after the war, Japanese Canadians were resented greatly. Instead of receiving their belongings back, they found out that their properties were all auctioned away. Almost 4000 Japanese Canadians were sent to Japan before the law that stated to deport Japanese Canadians was repealed. For several years, they had to report to the RCMP if they had traveled farther than 80 km from home. By time, living conditions for Japanese Canadians finally improved. The Pearl Harbour Attack’s influence on Canada’s thoughts about Japanese Canadians was finally diminished.
The Japanese worked quickly and very effectively. Their plan was to attack and seize their targets until their opponents were worn out. The Allies did not rush to help the US in defending Hawaii because they were all concentrated on defeating Hitler in Europe.
When the US heard about the attack, they immediately sent ships, aircraft, and troops to the Pacific, but the damage was done. In just two hours, 2400 Americans died, the Pacific Fleet was crippled, and more than 150 air crafts were destroyed in the bombing.
The Pearl Harbour Attack had great effect on many Canadians. They became suspicious of Japanese Canadians, who were already treated as second class citizens. Canadians thought them to be the enemy – spies helping Japan defeat Canada. As the days passed by, more rumors were spread about the Japanese Canadians; each worse than the one before. Finally Japanese Canadians were forced were stay in internment camps.
Internment camps were very harsh. They lived in small shacks or makeshift houses. There was no electricity or running water and the houses were not built to withstand the harsh winter weathers. Men went to different camps than mothers and children, so families were often separated. Not only that, but the Japanese had to leave their possessions in a “safekeeping” of a government agent called the Custodian of Enemy Property.
Even after the war, Japanese Canadians were resented greatly. Instead of receiving their belongings back, they found out that their properties were all auctioned away. Almost 4000 Japanese Canadians were sent to Japan before the law that stated to deport Japanese Canadians was repealed. For several years, they had to report to the RCMP if they had traveled farther than 80 km from home. By time, living conditions for Japanese Canadians finally improved. The Pearl Harbour Attack’s influence on Canada’s thoughts about Japanese Canadians was finally diminished.