Art Miki
Encyclopedia
Arthur Kazumi Miki, CM
(born 1936) is an activist and politician in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada
. He was president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians from 1984 to 1992, and is best known for his work in seeking compensation for Japanese-Canadians who were interned by the Government of Canada
during World War II
.
Miki's younger brother Roy
is a well-known Canadian poet and academic.
, and was among the 22,000 Japanese Canadians from that province who were displaced and interned during World War II. He and his family were forced to leave their six-hectare
fruit farm near Vancouver
, and were relocated to a one-room house in Ste. Agathe, Manitoba
that they were forced to share with other families. He was educated in a French school, despite the fact that he did not speak the language.
Miki received a Bachelor of Education
degree from the University of Manitoba
in 1969, and a Master of Education
degree in 1975. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Winnipeg in 1999. He was a teacher for 29 years, and was for several years a high school and elementary school principal in the Transcona
neighbourhood of Winnipeg. In 1991, he was appointed to the Order of Canada
.
Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau
's government responded to Miki's request by expressing its regret for the wartime internment policy, but did not offer financial compensation. Trudeau argued that other ethnic groups, including the Acadian
s and Chinese-Canadians, had also suffered historical discrimination, and said that the government could not begin to correct all past historical injustices.
Following the election of Brian Mulroney
's Progressive Conservatives
in 1984
, Multiculturalism Minister Jack Murta
announced that the government would offer a formal apology to Japanese-Canadians. The Mulroney government also offered $6 million for a foundation dedicated to human rights projects, but did not offer individual compensation. Miki rejected the settlement figure as arbitrary, and called for a formally negotiated settlement.
Miki had a good working relationship with Murta despite their disagreements over policy, and described him as having a good understanding of the issues affecting minority groups. His relationship with Otto Jelinek
, appointed as Murta's successor in 1985, was by contrast very poor. Jelinek argued that any apology to Japanese-Canadians should be made as part of a larger apology to other ethnic groups who were victimized by past government decisions, and argued that an apology to a specific group would set a poor precedent. In 1986, Jelinek offered a compensation package of $10 million to be administered by the Japanese-Canadian community. Miki again rejected the offer, and called for a negotiated settlement.
In May 1986, Miki released a Price Waterhouse study which indicated that Japanese-Canadians had lost $443 million in the 1940s due to discriminatory government policies. The release did not recommend a specific compensation figure, but was intended to provide a framework for further negotiations. Jelinek responded by saying that the report would have little effect on the government's plans.
David Crombie replaced Jelinek as Multiculturalism Minister in late June 1986. Miki welcomed the change, saying that Jelinek "[had] been dealing around us instead of dealing with us and the group that represents us", and adding "[f]or our particular issue, I'm not too sure he had much sympathy for it." Discussions over compensation soon became stalled again, notwithstanding the change. Crombie offered a $12 million community fund without individual compensation, which Miki rejected as inadequate. Miki's association requested $25,000 for each of the 14,000 survivors and a $50 million community fund, figures that Crombie rejected as beyond the government's means.
A breakthrough finally occurred shortly before the 1988 federal election
, when Miki and Gerry Weiner
(the Mulroney government's fourth Multiculturalism minister in as many years) concluded private negotiations for a comprehensive settlement. The government agreed to pay $21,000 for each survivor and $12 million for a community fund, and pledged to set up a Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Mulroney also delivered an apology for the wartime internment policy to the Canadian House of Commons
. Miki described the settlement as marking "a great day for justice and human rights" and "a historic day for Canadians of Japanese ancestry who have been struggling so long to resolve the injustices of the 1940s".
The Canadian Race Relations Foundation was later established by the government of Jean Chrétien
. Miki himself served as a director.
in the 1993 federal election
, challenging New Democratic Party
incumbent Bill Blaikie
in the working-class riding of Winnipeg—Transcona. He received an endorsement from the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, a railway union of some influence in the area. Miki was regarded as a star candidate
and ran a strong campaign, but fell 219 votes short on election day.
He later campaigned for the Manitoba Liberal Party
in Radisson in the 1995 provincial election
, but finished second to New Democratic Party
incumbent Marianne Cerilli
. A poor central campaign by the Liberals prevented him from mounting an effective challenge.
In addition to his work on the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Miki has also been a director of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation, and served as executive director of the Organization for Co-operation in Overseas Development.
In February 1998, he was appointed as a Citizenship Judge
in Manitoba by Citizenship and Immigration Minister
Lucienne Robillard
.
In 2003, he lent his support to Avvy Go's efforts to seek an apology for past state discrimination against Chinese Canadian
s.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born 1936) is an activist and politician in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians from 1984 to 1992, and is best known for his work in seeking compensation for Japanese-Canadians who were interned by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Miki's younger brother Roy
Roy Miki
Roy Akira Miki, CM, FRSC is a Canadian poet and scholar.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to second generation Japanese-Canadian parents, he attended the University of Manitoba, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University, where he is currently a professor emeritus. He lives in...
is a well-known Canadian poet and academic.
Early life
Miki was born in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, and was among the 22,000 Japanese Canadians from that province who were displaced and interned during World War II. He and his family were forced to leave their six-hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
fruit farm near Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, and were relocated to a one-room house in Ste. Agathe, Manitoba
Ste. Agathe, Manitoba
Ste. Agathe is a primarily francophone community in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It is located along the Red River in the Rural Municipality of Ritchot....
that they were forced to share with other families. He was educated in a French school, despite the fact that he did not speak the language.
Miki received a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degree from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
in 1969, and a Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
degree in 1975. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Winnipeg in 1999. He was a teacher for 29 years, and was for several years a high school and elementary school principal in the Transcona
Transcona
Transcona may refer to:*Transcona, Winnipeg, a suburb of the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba and formerly a separate municipality*Transcona , a provincial electoral riding in the same city...
neighbourhood of Winnipeg. In 1991, he was appointed to the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Redress for Japanese Canadians
Miki became president of the National Association of Japanese Canadians in 1984, and announced that his organization would seek a formal apology from the Canadian government and full compensation for property that was confiscated in the 1940s. His announcement was seen as an important, as the NAJC had previously been divided on the issue of reparations.Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
's government responded to Miki's request by expressing its regret for the wartime internment policy, but did not offer financial compensation. Trudeau argued that other ethnic groups, including the Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
s and Chinese-Canadians, had also suffered historical discrimination, and said that the government could not begin to correct all past historical injustices.
Following the election of Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
's Progressive Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
in 1984
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
, Multiculturalism Minister Jack Murta
Jack Murta
Jack Burnett Murta, is a former Canadian politician.Born in Carman, Manitoba, the son of John James Murta and Jean Murta, he graduated from the Diploma course in Agriculture at the University of Manitoba in 1964....
announced that the government would offer a formal apology to Japanese-Canadians. The Mulroney government also offered $6 million for a foundation dedicated to human rights projects, but did not offer individual compensation. Miki rejected the settlement figure as arbitrary, and called for a formally negotiated settlement.
Miki had a good working relationship with Murta despite their disagreements over policy, and described him as having a good understanding of the issues affecting minority groups. His relationship with Otto Jelinek
Otto Jelinek
Otto John Jelinek, PC is a businessman, former figure skater, and Canadian politician. Jelinek's family fled to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1948 at the beginning of the Cold War.-Figure skating career:...
, appointed as Murta's successor in 1985, was by contrast very poor. Jelinek argued that any apology to Japanese-Canadians should be made as part of a larger apology to other ethnic groups who were victimized by past government decisions, and argued that an apology to a specific group would set a poor precedent. In 1986, Jelinek offered a compensation package of $10 million to be administered by the Japanese-Canadian community. Miki again rejected the offer, and called for a negotiated settlement.
In May 1986, Miki released a Price Waterhouse study which indicated that Japanese-Canadians had lost $443 million in the 1940s due to discriminatory government policies. The release did not recommend a specific compensation figure, but was intended to provide a framework for further negotiations. Jelinek responded by saying that the report would have little effect on the government's plans.
David Crombie replaced Jelinek as Multiculturalism Minister in late June 1986. Miki welcomed the change, saying that Jelinek "[had] been dealing around us instead of dealing with us and the group that represents us", and adding "[f]or our particular issue, I'm not too sure he had much sympathy for it." Discussions over compensation soon became stalled again, notwithstanding the change. Crombie offered a $12 million community fund without individual compensation, which Miki rejected as inadequate. Miki's association requested $25,000 for each of the 14,000 survivors and a $50 million community fund, figures that Crombie rejected as beyond the government's means.
A breakthrough finally occurred shortly before the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
, when Miki and Gerry Weiner
Gerry Weiner
Gerald "Gerry" Weiner, PC is a Canadian politician.A pharmacist educated at McGill University and the Université de Montréal, Weiner entered local politics and eventually became mayor of Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec...
(the Mulroney government's fourth Multiculturalism minister in as many years) concluded private negotiations for a comprehensive settlement. The government agreed to pay $21,000 for each survivor and $12 million for a community fund, and pledged to set up a Canadian Race Relations Foundation. Mulroney also delivered an apology for the wartime internment policy to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
. Miki described the settlement as marking "a great day for justice and human rights" and "a historic day for Canadians of Japanese ancestry who have been struggling so long to resolve the injustices of the 1940s".
The Canadian Race Relations Foundation was later established by the government of Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
. Miki himself served as a director.
Political candidate
Miki campaigned for the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in the 1993 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, challenging New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
incumbent Bill Blaikie
Bill Blaikie
William Alexander "Bill" Blaikie, PC is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since April 2009, representing the Winnipeg division of Elmwood as a member of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and Minister of Conservation and Government House Leader...
in the working-class riding of Winnipeg—Transcona. He received an endorsement from the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, a railway union of some influence in the area. Miki was regarded as a star candidate
Star candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
and ran a strong campaign, but fell 219 votes short on election day.
He later campaigned for the Manitoba Liberal Party
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
in Radisson in the 1995 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1995
The Manitoba general election of April 25,1995 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which won 31 seats out of 57...
, but finished second to New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
incumbent Marianne Cerilli
Marianne Cerilli
Marianne Cerilli is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She served as a New Democratic member of the Manitoba legislature from 1990 until 2003, though she was not called to cabinet when the party formed government in 1999....
. A poor central campaign by the Liberals prevented him from mounting an effective challenge.
In addition to his work on the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, Miki has also been a director of the Japanese Canadian Redress Foundation, and served as executive director of the Organization for Co-operation in Overseas Development.
In February 1998, he was appointed as a Citizenship Judge
Citizenship judge
A citizenship judge is an official or judge of the Canadian government who reviews applications for Canadian citizenship.Citizenship judges are appointed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration....
in Manitoba by Citizenship and Immigration Minister
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration (Canada)
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government department responsible for immigration, refugee and citizenship issues, Citizenship and Immigration Canada...
Lucienne Robillard
Lucienne Robillard
Lucienne Robillard, PC is a Canadian politician and a member of the Liberal Party of Canada. She sat in the Canadian House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Westmount—Ville-Marie in Montreal....
.
In 2003, he lent his support to Avvy Go's efforts to seek an apology for past state discrimination against Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...
s.