Canada's treatment of its citizens of Japanese descent during the Second World War should be seen as a black stain on Canadian history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Tension between Canadian and Japanese immigrants began as early as 1858, when Asian immigrants came to Canada for the Fraser Canyon gold rush. People were genuinely afraid of incoming immigrants because of certain beliefs. Asian immigrants were said to settle for an inferior lifestyle, were unhygienic, were inferior, and because of all this reasoning, Canadians concluded that they would not measure up to Canadian standards. In 1907 the United States of America declared that no Japanese immigrants could enter the United States through Hawaii, resulting in a massive influx of immigrants into British Columbia. As a result, an anti-Asian league was formed. A meeting was held in Vancouver City Hall with an estimated 25,000 people. After the speakers and presentations, the crowd erupted into a frenzy and attacked Chinatown and Japantown. Subsequently, the League approached the government to ask them to limit the number of passports issued to male Japanese immigrants. During the First World War, Japanese Canadians were seen as allies of the United Kingdom. When white men returned from the war and saw that their previous job had been taken by a Japanese immigrant, they became angry. Now Japanese Canadians were interpreted as a threat to their family lives and jobs. During the 1920s other groups came forward to defend Japanese Canadians, such as the Japan Society. Many citizens have not yet been discouraged by their work and have focused on the fact that they steal jobs. Before World War II, there were 29,000 Japanese Canadians living in British Columbia. They were denied the right to vote and excluded from some careers. Many Canadians still believed they were still loyal to Japan, even though they lived in Canada. Japan withdrew from the League of Nations in 1934, and Japanese inhabitants, even those born in British Columbia, were judged on their country's actions. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayAfter After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese Canadians were alienated and subjected to the War Measures Act. In 1942 the government passed a bill to relocate Japanese Canadian males between the ages of 18 and 45 to a place designated 100 miles inland from the coast, approved a wartime fishing ban on Japanese Canadians and limited the use of shortwave radios. Three weeks later, Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 declaring the removal of 110,000 Japanese Canadians from the American coast. Many Japanese Canadians who were removed were sent to road camps in the middle of British Columbia. A group of second-generation Japanese Canadians refused to be sent away.