A social injustice, as understood in our society, is any action against an individual or group, which would deny them of their basic human rights. At the turn of the century, many immigrants fled their country as a consequence of government oppression, religious persecution, famine and poverty. A substantial number of immigrants believed they could live in a prosperous world, free of intolerance and discrimination in North America. Sadly, in Joy Kogawa’s Obasan and …showed first 75 words of 1980 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1980 total…trait. They are physically and emotionally wounded for life. The immigrants leave their native country in hopes of a new beginning, but sadly, they encounter a mirror image of what they hoped they left behind. The immigrants portrayed by Kogawa and Doctorow, for the most part never live their dreams but their children and grandchildren will eventually be embraced by their new country and give credibility to Obasan’s comment, “ Have faith in Canada ” ( Kogawa, 1983, 104 ).