In-Depth Notes on Selective Admission and Japanese Canadian Women's Experiences in Healthcare

Selective Admission Context and Definitions

• Selective Admission: A process influenced by immigration status, ethnicity, and race, impacting entry into healthcare education and the workplace.
  • Important for national health and healthcare education institutions, particularly nursing programs and hospitals.
  • The experiences of Japanese Canadian women in healthcare are explored:
  • Before WWII
  • During WWII
  • After the war
  • How these experiences are remembered shapes historical narratives.

Importance of Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration

• Race, ethnicity, and immigration play crucial roles in understanding women's and medical history in Canada.
• They shape social dynamics, access to education, and professional opportunities in healthcare.

Theories and Ideologies of Racial Hierarchy

• Examination of historical theories that establish racial hierarchies and notions of superiority impacting Canadian society.

Nationalism and Identity

• Concept of Nationalism involving:
  • Geography and its influence on identity and power.
  • The implications of these factors on social perceptions and discrimination.

Whiteness and Othering

• Whiteness: A significant social construct influencing identity.
  • Understanding ‘Whiteness’ involves exploring how certain white individuals are marginalized through:
  • Ethnicity (e.g., Irish immigrants)
  • Religion (e.g., Mormons, Anti-Semitism)
  • Connection to idealized immigrant narratives in nation-building (dates of significance: 1867, 1842, 1892).

Selective Admission Policies

• Selective Admission in Canada: Interlinked with race, immigration, and health.
  • Explores cyclical trends:
  • Blame directed toward racial minorities (often seen as vectors of disease).
  • Exclusion driven by medical testing.
  • Economic necessity leading to exceptions in labor (i.e., need for cheap labor).
• The influence of cultural understandings of race on health policies throughout 20th-century Canada.

Case Studies: Black Canadian Nurses

• Challenges faced by Black Canadian nurses in accessing healthcare education.
  • Early admissions:
  • American nursing programs accepted African American students since the 1870s.
  • Canada’s first Black nursing student admitted in the 1940s, with limited numbers graduating.

Case Studies: Japanese Canadian Nurses

• First Japanese Canadian women entered nursing programs in the 1930s at institutions like Vancouver General Hospital and the University of British Columbia.
  • Significant graduates:
  • Ruth Ko Akagawa (1938) and Yasuko Yamazaki (1939).

Historical Context of Japanese Canadians

• Early Immigration (1877 onwards): Initial Japanese settlers faced various societal challenges.
  • Key events include:
  • Establishment of the first Buddhist temple (1905) and Japanese school (1906).
  • Anti-Asian riots and legislative agreements limiting immigration (e.g., Gentleman's Agreement).

Second World War Impact

• Timeline of events affecting Japanese Canadians post-Pearl Harbor:
  • January 1942: Introduction of restrictive measures (registration of males, curfews).
  • February 1942: Property confiscations and internment practices initiated, uprooting 22,000 Japanese Canadians from British Columbia.
  • By March 1949, restrictions lifted and franchise granted to Japanese Canadians.

Experiences of Japanese Canadian Women in Healthcare

• Selective admission dynamics:
  • Women like Ruth Ko Akagawa and Yasuko Yamazaki navigated nursing education amidst internment practices.
  • Profiles of women nurses during and after conflicts highlight resilience in the face of adversity.

Memory and Narrative of Selective Admission

• Reflection on how Japanese Canadian women recall their experiences within the framework of selective admissions to healthcare institutions, contributing to broader discussions of race, identity, and memory in Canadian history.
• Analysis of materials such as the New Canadian and various oral histories illustrates ongoing implications of these experiences.

Photographic Documentation

• Evidence of the historical nursing context during the internment period is captured through photographs depicting hospital staff and nursing roles assigned to Japanese Canadians.

Conclusion

• Understanding the nuances and historical context of selective admission regarding immigration, race, and health is essential for a comprehensive outlook on women's struggles and achievements in Canada's healthcare history.