The internment of Japanese Canadians in British Columbia will always leave a dark stain on BC history and one that has left many families of Japanese descent in a wake of intergenerational trauma. Archives have been an integral part of preservation of victim’s stories. During the internment camps, many logistics had to be conducted in order to manage the camps, one of which included recording and tracking down all the detainees personal information.
This document currently resides in Rare Books and Special Collections at the University of British Columbia. It is a single sheet of paper portraying an orderly list of names of individuals and various personal information regarding the person. There are no present explanations on the document explaining or outlining what the archive is depicting, leaving the audience to freely interpret based on knowledge of the time period. It almost seems to be part of a larger collection of possible lists of records of prisoners interned in these camps. The eerie pattern of names listed out, based on the last names, all illustrate peoples of Japanese descent. Occupations, ages, sex, school year and registration card number are also listed for each name.
As stated by Kate Peters from the University of Oxford, “record-keeping was a deeply political act [in which] decisions about what was kept and what was destroyed can tell us a great deal about changing notions of legitimacy and political participation” (Peters). This document also was resulted from the rising growth of literacy at that time period (Peters). This document serves as almost a power symbol of status that is supposed to resonate within the communities considered “undesirable” or different (Peters). This is due to the simple and at the same time, cryptic manner of the document in how it is portrayed. With closer examination, the rows of names listed contain groupings together which can be assumed they were grouped into families, as the surnames are similar and almost identical for each person listed in that group. This format of archive is rather unique as it is not a letter, or a photo or even an item, but rather a demeaning document which reveals the dark history and the policies implemented in order to carry the actions out. This document uses subtle visual storytelling in order for modern day viewers to understand the brutal reality of many Japanese Canadians in that era. It is a powerful archival text due to its simplicity and basic outline, but relays an important message.
“List of Japanese possible internees”
This record list of Japanese Canadians registered is blatant physical evidence of the discriminatory and unethical practices conducted at the time targeting the Japanese. The groupings of the families similarly represent a symbol of resistance in that no matter what the authorities decide to do, families will always band together even in times of crisis. As this document differs from other archival forms due to its format of straightforward information, the question is raised as to whether this archive has been distorted by power in any sort of way (Carter). As this document has shown, the government would “use their power to define the shape an archive takes” and contributing in the importance of archival representation of historical events (Carter). This list is ultimately an account of memory as witness to these lives.
Works Cited
Carter, Rodney G.S., “Of Things Said and Unsaid: Power, Archival Silences, and Power in Silence*.” Archivaria 61 (2006): 2015-33.
“List of Japanese possible internees.” Textual Document List. University of British Columbia Library Rare Books and Special Collections, Vancouver, Canada. (Image citation)
Peters, Kate. “Q&A: how archives make history”, University of Oxford, April 7th 2014, www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/qa-how-archives-make-history.