Joy Kogawa opposes Bill C-333 – ACE program “so-called Chinese head tax redress package”
Hi Todd,
This
is almost exactly what happened with Japanese Canadian redress. My
new/old novel, “Emily Kato” (a re-write of Itsuka and just published)
describes the panic when government tried to pull the rug out from the
redress movement. But we did stop it.
is almost exactly what happened with Japanese Canadian redress. My
new/old novel, “Emily Kato” (a re-write of Itsuka and just published)
describes the panic when government tried to pull the rug out from the
redress movement. But we did stop it.
Here's
a copy of the letter that Tam asked for and that went off this morning.
It may not make it, of course, into the Globe & Mail.
a copy of the letter that Tam asked for and that went off this morning.
It may not make it, of course, into the Globe & Mail.
Joy
Letters to the editor
Re: Money for grievances, Nov. 19.
June
Callwood, Dr. Joseph Wong, Michele Landsberg, and many other people of
conscience have added their support to the Ontario Coalition of Chinese
Head Tax Payers and Families plus the Chinese Canadian National
Council. The strenuous efforts of these organizations to have the Head
Tax redress resolved in an honourable manner have thus far been
thwarted by the federal government.
Two
decades ago I was passionately involved in the Japanese Canadian
struggle for redress for the actions against my community during and
after World War II. The aspect of the struggle that was for me the most
arduous was the endeavour to have the government recognize the
legitimacy of our national organization. More than once in its haste
and impatience to resolve the issue, events were staged by government
officials to undercut the community's need for an inclusive, open and
healing process.
decades ago I was passionately involved in the Japanese Canadian
struggle for redress for the actions against my community during and
after World War II. The aspect of the struggle that was for me the most
arduous was the endeavour to have the government recognize the
legitimacy of our national organization. More than once in its haste
and impatience to resolve the issue, events were staged by government
officials to undercut the community's need for an inclusive, open and
healing process.
Today,
this same unseemly haste and disregard for the passions and needs of
the affected people are once more evident in the issue of the Chinese
Head Tax. Surely there is time enough to heed the many voices across
the country, pleading for the healing of those who were directly
affected and those who have been working across the country on this
matter for many years.
this same unseemly haste and disregard for the passions and needs of
the affected people are once more evident in the issue of the Chinese
Head Tax. Surely there is time enough to heed the many voices across
the country, pleading for the healing of those who were directly
affected and those who have been working across the country on this
matter for many years.
I
am reminded again as I was twenty years ago of the words of the prophet
Jeremiah. “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying
'Peace, Peace,' where there is no peace.”
am reminded again as I was twenty years ago of the words of the prophet
Jeremiah. “They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying
'Peace, Peace,' where there is no peace.”
Joy Kogawa