The Japanese-Canadian Experience of World War II (website)http://japanese-canadians.weebly.com/Note to Mr. MungarTo communicate contributions of Japanese-Canadians during World War II, I invented a character called Akira to illustrate the experiences of an average Japanese person growing up in Canada. Introduction: Early Japanese Immigrants to Canada The Japanese have had a very vivid history in Canada. Before 1868, it was illegal for Japanese citizens to leave the country, but with a change in government in 1870, they were encouraged to travel abroad to earn money and learn skills they could bring home, as Japan did in its early of the 20th century. they don't have many opportunities, especially in rural areas. In many cases, they could barely make a living, struggling with famine and disease. Who were the Japanese immigrants? In the late 1870s, thousands of Japanese came to Canada as fishermen, farmers, sawmill workers, and businessmen. They were mostly young teenagers. Some followed their fathers, dreamed of fortune and success in new lands, or desperately sought to escape the grinding poverty of Japan. Many were known as draft dodgers, meaning they deliberately avoided the two years of military service in Japan, made mandatory for all males once they reached the age of 20. Akira's father was part of the issei, or the first generation of Japanese immigrants. He immigrated to Stevenston, British Columbia, and began toiling long hours as a fisherman. Indeed, the Japanese immigrants' talent for fishing was quickly recognized, making them in high demand. They were paid less than the average white Canadian. Akira's mother emigrated to Canada in 1911. Japan... halfway... not for the thousands of Japanese who arrived, and for the thousands of Japanese who stayed, the presence of Japanese culture would not have been incorporated into the story Canadian. Despite the voluntary deportation and rapid dispersal of Japanese-Canadians across Canada, their legacy still lives on. Works Cited Daubs, Katie. "Walking the Western Front: From War Hero to Enemy Alien and Back Again | TorontoStar." thestar.com. The Toronto Star, May 12, 2014. Web. May 14, 2014. .Hickman, Pamela and Masako Fukawa. Japanese-Canadian Internment in World War II. Toronto: James Lorimer and Co., 2011. Print.Taylor, Mary. A Black Mark: Japanese-Canadians in World War II. Ottawa: Oberon Press, 2004. Print.