Japanese Canadians faced a great deal of adversity in communities such as Mission. This was a result of a history of racism towards Japanese immigrants in B.C. and Canada. The first wave of Japanese immigrants, called Issei (first generation), arrived in Canada between 1877 and 1928. Most of them settled in British Columbia. They were often poor and did not speak English very well. They typically worked in menial, low paying jobs. Slowly, the Dominion government of Canada began to limit Japanese immigration. Japanese Canadians were also not allowed to vote until the late 1940’s.
As the community grew and prospered, so did the racial envy and resentment of many fellow British Columbians who felt threatened. Violent strikes and a major anti-Asian protest and riot in Vancouver in 1907 followed. Nothing was done to reprimand the people involved, by any level of government, and only meager attempts at apologies were made.