Overall Objective
This film looks at how Canada’s enlistment policies discriminated against Chinese Canadians during the Second World War and how this discrimination represented a broader pattern of racism prevalent at the time. The learning activities involve making drawings inspired by the film and writing in a fictional journal.

Grade level
Advanced 9–12 and beyond. This unit can be adapted to younger grades and different courses of study in various Canadian provinces and territories.

Content Areas
History
Citizenship
Political Science
Human Rights
Social Studies

Materials Required
Blackboard, white board or flip chart and markers
Laptop and projector
Computer lab

Summary
Unwanted Soldiers by Jeri Osborne is a sensitive, sobering look at the discriminatory relationship between the Canadian Government and Chinese Canadians during WWII. This documentary chronicles stories of a group of men who fought to be recognized as Canadian citizens and reveals federal policies that limited Chinese Canadians’ human rights. Though originally banned from enlisting in the military, Chinese Canadians were finally deployed as Special Forces agents for dangerous espionage work in Southeast Asia.

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