Mission Community Archives.
Emma (1888-1979) and Harry (1883-1964) Barnett arrived in Mission in 1918 and soon became friends with Minoru Kudo, Teizo Nakashima, Tashiro Hashizume, and others in the Japanese community which was already established there. Harry Barnett wrote an undated address which provides insight into the rich friendship and trust developed between them and their neighbours and is worth sharing in full:
To the pioneers of Mission District, I send you greetings. While I can hardly lay claim to being a pioneer, yet this occasion seems to be a fitting time to send you a little message letting you know that we do appreciate the friendship which has yearly grown stronger as we have come to know you more intimately. It was about seventeen years ago when I first came to Mission looking for a place where I could settle with my family and the first gentlemen to show me a kindness was our mutual friend Mr. M. Kudo. He was driving a pair of ponies and gave me a ride to Mary Ann where eventually we made our home. About this time Mr. Kudo left for Japan and brought back a little later the charming lady we now know as Mrs. Kudo, before leaving however he arranged that we should have his boy come to us to learn English and this boy Tom Sato was in every way such a gentleman that we grew to look upon him as our own son. Pretty soon others came and from that time until now we have not missed one winter and I can honestly say we would not have liked to be without our boys as we call them. We have always found these young men kind and courteous and have never had any reason to regret having them in our home and we are happy to have had the privilege of helping them in our little way.
Letters we receive from some of those who came years ago testify that they still look upon us as their friends and some of [them] [sic] have their homes right here and their children are attending kindergarten and so from such a small beginning as a buggy ride given to a stranger coming into your community has grown a friendship which I trust nothing will break but that it will continues to grow still stronger especially during these times when everything looks black.
It is my earnest desire that the future will bring to you an abundance of health and happiness and that you may long enjoy the fruit of your labours.
Yours Sincerely,
H. J. Barnett.[1]
In 1925 the Mission School Board contacted the Nohkai through Kyushiro Utsumi to address the fact that Japanese children were entering the public system without any knowledge of English. It was decided that a kindergarten class would be established where English could be introduced prior to the children in the year prior to Grade One.[2] Emma Barnett took the teaching position from 1925-1942; the time when their Japanese neighbours were displaced.[3] The Nohkai Hall, first on 14th and then on 7th Avenue, Mission were where she conducted her classes, and from 1930-1942 she also taught night classes for Japanese adults who wished to learn English to assist them in their work environments where they often faced the most discrimination.[4]
Throughout Emma Barnett’s years as a teacher, she kept a close record of all of her students’ names in a notebook, and although her system is not easily decipherable, it shows the attentiveness with which she approached her task.[5]
Most were born in Canada. Mission Community Archives.
For example, as seen pictured here, she recorded all of her student’s birthdays and places of birth. Note that the majority were Canadian born. Although referring to the town of Haney, Hashizume notes that they customarily celebrated the birthdays of the children as well as had small graduation ceremonies, so it is likely that Mrs. Barnett used her list of birthdays in order to include such celebrations in her classes.[6]
The only records of her personal teaching plan include colouring sheets with the English description of the images below, and poems or songs which Mrs. Barnett wrote out by hand and most likely taught the children to sing or recite.[7] On one lined notebook page is written a reminder to “First start Jesus Loves Me” followed by an untitled Red Cross song that begins: “We are workers brave and true/though our numbers are but few”, and in which the chorus is “We are red cross workers/and will not be shirkers.”[8]
The Fraser Valley Record also carried news about Mrs. Barnett’s classes, showing their success and community support. On June 11, 1936 one article titled “Japanese Kindergarten Graduation Party” reads:
“The graduation and birthday party of the Mission City Japanese Kindergarten was held in the Japanese hall June 3rd when the Japanese residents together with many other invited guests celebrated the tenth anniversary of the opening of the Japanese kindergarten in this district. The ceremony opened with drills and kindergarten work very ably rendered by the pupils under the direction of the teacher Mrs. H. Barnett…”
This was followed by addresses from local reverends and, “Miss Etta DeWolfe of Vancouver gave an address in both English and Japanese. The drills etc. were followed with refreshments daintily served and Mrs. M. Kudo principal of the Japanese language school cut the huge birthday cake which was distributed to the gathering.”[9]
[1] Barnetts. Mission Community Archives, Mission, BC.
[2] William T. Hashizume. Japanese Community in Mission: A Brief History 1904-1942 (North York: Musson Copy Centre, 2002), 19. Mission Community Archives, Mission, BC.
[3] The Japanese Community in Mission, 19.
[4] The Japanese Community in Mission, 19.
[5] Emma Barnett’s Notebook. Mission Community Archives, Mission, BC.
[6] William T. Hashizume. History of Haney Nokai, trans. Yasutaro Yamaga (North York: Musson Copy Centre, 2006), 46. Mission Community Archives, Mission, BC.
[7] Barnetts. Mission Community Archives, Mission, BC.
[8] Barnetts. Mission Community Archives, Mission, BC.
[9] “Japanese Kindergarten Graduation Party.” Fraser Valley Record (The Reach, Abbotsford, BC), June 11, 1936.