The Story

At first, it seemed like a big adventure; a long train ride out of the city into the natural beauty of Slocan. Scientist David Suzuki, who was six at the time of the internment, recalls in this clip the duality of the internment experience. He says it was an "enchanted" time when he would spend his days gathering wildflowers, fishing and camping. But, he describes the communal living arrangements as filthy and crowded, his bed crawling with bed bugs. Suzuki also describes his bitterness as his family moved east to Southern Ontario. Constantly the victim of prejudice, he wanted to disassociate himself with all things Japanese and assume a white skin to be like everyone else. It was, he describes, a difficult period of self-hate. Because of this, however, Suzuki explains how he came to realize and respect the fragility of democracy.