Emigration during the Vietnam War Draft evasion

mark satin (left), director of toronto anti-draft programme, counseling american draft resisters, 1967

in canada, many american vietnam war evaders received pre-emigration counseling , post-emigration assistance locally based groups. typically these consisted of american emigrants , canadian supporters. largest montreal committee aid war objectors, toronto anti-draft programme, , vancouver committee aid american war objectors. journalists noted effectiveness. manual draft-age immigrants canada, published jointly toronto anti-draft programme , house of anansi press, sold 100,000 copies, , read on half of american vietnam war emigrants canada. in addition counseling groups (and @ least formally separate them) toronto-based political organization, union of american exiles, better known amex. sought speak american draft evaders , deserters in canada. example, lobbied , campaigned universal, unconditional amnesty, , hosted international conference in 1974 opposing short of that.

those went abroad faced imprisonment or forced military service if returned home. u.s. continued prosecute draft dodgers after end of vietnam war. in september 1974, president gerald r. ford offered amnesty program draft dodgers required them work in alternative service occupations periods of 6 24 months. in 1977, 1 day after inauguration, president jimmy carter fulfilled campaign promise offering pardons had evaded draft , requested one. antagonized critics on both sides, right complaining pardoned paid no penalty , left complaining requesting pardon required admission of crime.

some draft evaders returned u.s. canada after 1977 pardon, according sociologist john hagan, half of them stayed on. young , educated population expanded canada s arts , academic scenes, , helped push canadian politics further left. americans left canada , became prominent there include jay scott, william gibson, , michael hendricks. other draft evaders vietnam era remain in europe , asia.