Newspaper Clippings
After his wife, Mary-Ellen Hempel, was sent to Uganda as one of three secretaries to type the visas of Canada bound refugees in September 1972, Paul Hempel began to collect newspaper clippings from the Canadian, American and British press, documenting the Ugandan refugee crisis. Between August 5th, 1972 and January 10th, 1973 Hempel collected newspaper articles from: the聽Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Globe and Mail, Ottawa Journal, Montreal Star, St. John鈥檚 Evening Telegraph, Vancouver Sun, Windsor Star, London Free Press, Hamilton Spectator, Toronto Star, The Economist, Winnipeg Free Press, Time Magazine,聽and聽La Presse. Hempel also drew from a number of international sources including聽The London Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Time Magazine聽and the聽New York Times. These newspaper clippings offer a look at how other countries in the Western world reacted to Idi Amin鈥檚 policy on Ugandna Asians.
Hempel鈥檚 collection documents the international reaction to Idi Amin’s expulsion decree. It begins with British diplomat Mr. Geoffrey Rippon鈥檚 failed attempts to reason with Idi Amin and then to the international response to the potential influx of new immigrants. The collection explores the deliberations behind Canada’s official decision to admit Ugandan Asian refugees announced on August 25th, 1972. By the end of August, media聽the coverage focuses on refugees聽who had聽begun聽to leave Uganda.
“Await Asians’ Arrival – Canadian Armed Forces
Capt. Jacques Charlebois, commanding officer at a
Montreal medical unit,” September 27, 1972, Toronto Star.
“Asian appeal launched,” September 5, 1972, Ottawa Citizen.
鈥淪ome of yesterday鈥檚 arrivals from Uganda into the YMCA downtown,鈥� October 13, 1972, Montreal Gazette.
Overall, articles printed over the five and a half months from August 1972 to January 1973 cover the expulsion and resettlement of Ugandan Asians. It also covers聽the broader聽impacts of this聽forced migration聽on the political and foreign policy climate of the United Kingdom, Canada, India and East Africa. Some articles attempt to contextualize the expulsion and explain why Idi Amin came to his decision. The newspaper articles are often supplemented with pictures of people leaving Uganda and, at times, there are newspaper cartoons including one depicting a group of Ugandan Asians聽arriving in Canada only to find igloos and a most unwelcoming climate. Overall the newspapers convey a sense of pride in Canada鈥檚 role in accepting the Ugandan Asian refugees.
Paul Hempel鈥檚 dedication to tracking the situation in which his wife was involved that has enabled for the creation of this incredible resource.
Looking in from the Outside – Binder #1 (.pdf)
Looking in from the Outside – Binder #2 (.pdf)
Looking in from the Outside – Binder #3 (.pdf)