An unjust execution: a case study of Inouye Kanao, the Kamloops Kid
Date
2020-08-31
Authors
Fitzgerald, Kyla
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Abstract
This thesis examines the legal case of Inouye Kanao, a second-generation Japanese Canadian who was executed for high treason in August 1947 in Hong Kong. In this thesis, I trace not only Inouye's legal case, but also his early life, the broader political context, diplomatic correspondence, and other war crimes cases. By employing race-thinking and Critical Race Theory as theoretical frameworks, I consider the role of race and racism and aim to better understand its influence on Inouye's legal case. In doing so, this thesis challenges previous narratives and misinformation about Inouye. I conclude that racism was a significant factor that affected all aspects of Inouye's case, resulting in an unjust execution that did not reflect the crimes. Ultimately, Inouye was executed not because of his actions but because he was racialized as a treacherous and cruel Japanese Canadian.
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Keywords
Inouye Kanao, Kamloops Kid, Kamloops, British Columbia, war crimes, Hong Kong, World War II, Second World War, Treason, Treason Act 1351, Japanese Canadian, Dual nationality, POW, Prisoner of War, Critical Race Theory, Racism, Racialization, Minor war crimes, Hong Kong Trials, Execution, Canada, Race-thinking, Kempeitai, Imperial Japanese Army, Nisei, Tokyo Tribunal, Tokyo Trials, Japan