Craig Baird
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thread 1/7
It is Asian Heritage Month and this is the story of teacher and activist Hide Hyodo Shimizu!

Born in 1908 in Vancouver to parents who immigrated from Japan, she studied at the University of B.C. In 1926, she became the first second-generation Japanese-Canadian to earn a teacher's certificate.
11:02 AM - May 07, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 2/7
From that year until 1942, she worked as a teacher in Vancouver. In 1936, she was part of a delegation that went to Ottawa to encourage the government to give Japanese-Canadians the vote. That right to vote would not come until 1947.

In 1941, her entire life changed.
11:02 AM - May 07, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 3/7
That year, all Japanese-Canadians over the age of 16 had to register with the RCMP. Her parents were also forced to give up their land and house.
11:02 AM - May 07, 2024
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Craig Baird
A
thread 4/7
Thousands of Japanese-Canadian families were forced to move into internment camps away from the British Columbia coast & their children were pulled from schools.

Shimizu established a system of schools for the 3,000 Japanese-Canadian children in the internment camps.
11:02 AM - May 07, 2024
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Craig Baird
A
thread 5/7
These schools operated out of shacks, using discarded text books.

For the entire war, she travelled between camps to inspect the schools & teach children.
11:02 AM - May 07, 2024
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Craig Baird
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thread 6/7
After the war, she spent years lobbying the government to provide compensation for Japanese-Canadians who lost everything when they were pushed into internment camps.

Thanks to the work of Hide and others, on Sept.
11:02 AM - May 07, 2024
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Craig Baird
A
thread 7/7
22, 1988, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney apologized for Japanese Internment & provided each surviving internee $21,000 in compensation.

In 1982, Hide was awarded the Order of Canada. She passed away on Aug. 22, 1999 at the age of 91.
11:02 AM - May 07, 2024
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