Anti-racism & Acknowledgement
Anti-Racism is one of the six pillars of BC Redress, which was initiated by the National Association of Japanese Canadians and the BC Government in 2019 to acknowledge & redress the historical injustices suffered by Japanese Canadians from 1942-1942. Deep grounding in anti-racism work is an historic thread that still links the Japanese Canadian community to the injustices suffered 70 years ago. It also aligns closely with the stated priorities of the current BC government. As first-hand survivors of institutionalized racist policy, our seniors most want to ensure it never again occurs, including by ensuring a strong anti-racism component is included in the BC Redress package.
The BC Redress Anti-Racism meeting took place on June 11th, 2021. Co-chaired by Susanne Tabata, the meeting was attended by Lorene Oikawa, Paul Kariya and Judy Hanazawa, along with Art Miki, Masako Fukawa, and Mike Perry Wittingham who remained on the call following the earlier Education meeting.
Our Requests
- As a conclusion to the 2012 Apology, we have asked for a comprehensive and meaningful acknowledgement of the BC Government’s lead role in the uprooting, internment, and dispossession of Japanese-Canadians from 1942-1949.
- We have also requested the creation of an independent, permanent and sufficiently-resourced anti-racism institution, whether housed at OHRC or included as a standalone element of the new BC Anti-Racism Act.
