Artefact 5; A Government Issued Japanese-Canadian ID Card (1941)

Citation:

Library and Archives Canada. Japanese Canadian Identification Card: Tokutaro Sakamoto, 1941. Item ID 5010308. Ottawa: Government of Canada. https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/home/record?idnumber=5010308&app=fonandcol 

Label: This identification card, issued to a Japanese Canadian (Tokutaro Sakamoto) in 1941, was a mandatory document required by the Canadian government during the interment period. Under the authority of the War Measures Act (1914), the Canadian government mandated that all Japanese Canadians, regardless of citizenship status, to carry identification cards, subjecting them to a discriminatory system of forced registration, relocation, and surveillance. Each card contained personal information such as the bearer's name, photo, fingerprints, and an assigned identification number, which facilitated the government's ability to control and monitor the movements and interactions of Japanese Canadians. These measures were justified by the government as necessary for national security, but for many Japanese Canadians, these ID cards symbolized the loss of their personal freedoms and civil rights, as well as the deterioration of their trust in the government. Beyond its official purpose, the ID card serves as a testament to the widespread racial profiling and segregation endured by Japanese Canadians during WWII. The very existence of the ID card serves as a powerful reminder of just how deeply government policies infiltrated the lives of ordinary citizens, stripping them of their individuality in a system designed to marginalize and control an entire community. 

Bibliography:
[1] McRae, Matthew. "Japanese Canadian Internment and the Struggle for Redress." The Canadian Encyclopedia, May 19, 2017. Accessed December 3, 2024. https://humanrights.ca/story/japanese-canadian-internment-and-struggle-redress