Kenzo Mori
Encyclopedia
Kenzo Mori was an Nisei
Japanese-Canadian journalist, writer, editor and publisher of the New Canadian, an English-language newspaper aimed at second- and third-generation Japanese Canadians.
.
In the pages of the newspaper and elsewhere, Mori tried to be a constructive voice in the movement to address the material losses and humiliation Japanese-Canadians endured as "enemy aliens" during World War II.
for public service.
The Japanese government conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
, which represents the fifth highest of eight classes associated with the award. This decoration recognized his efforts in promoting relations between Canada and Japan.
Nisei
During the early years of World War II, Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated from their homes in the Pacific coast states because military leaders and public opinion combined to fan unproven fears of sabotage...
Japanese-Canadian journalist, writer, editor and publisher of the New Canadian, an English-language newspaper aimed at second- and third-generation Japanese Canadians.
Early life
Mori was born near Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1914. He was the son of immigrants who returned to Japan in 1918. He left Japan at age 16, graduating from high school in Canada. In due course, he earned an arts degree from the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
.
Internment
Mori was interned in a camp north of Vancouver during the Second World War. His older brother, George, was also in the camp.Career
Mori became the assistant Japanese editor of The New Canadian in the late 1940s. When retired in 1983, he had become the newspaper's editor. Mori was a founding member of the Ontario and Canadian Ethnic Press Associations.In the pages of the newspaper and elsewhere, Mori tried to be a constructive voice in the movement to address the material losses and humiliation Japanese-Canadians endured as "enemy aliens" during World War II.
Honours and awards
Mori was the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee MedalQueen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II...
for public service.
The Japanese government conferred the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, which represents the fifth highest of eight classes associated with the award. This decoration recognized his efforts in promoting relations between Canada and Japan.
Selected works
- Kenzo Mori and Hiroto Takami. (1977). Kanada no Manzo Monogatari: The First Immigrant to Canada. Tokyo: Suzuyama Shobo.