istock Manzanar National Historic Site

 

BY STEPHEN NEUKAM

President Biden on Sunday called the use of internment camps for Japanese Americans in the U.S. during World War II “one of the most shameful periods in American history.”

 

“When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, eighty-one years ago today, it ushered in one of the most shameful periods in American history,” Biden said in a statement marking the anniversary of Roosevelt’s executive order.

 

“The incarceration of Japanese Americans reminds us what happens when racism, fear and xenophobia go unchecked,” Biden added. “As we battle for the soul of our nation, we continue to combat the corrosive effects of hate on our democracy and the intergenerational trauma resulting from it.”

 

Full story: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3865377-biden-japanese-american-internment-camps-one-of-the-most-shameful-periods-in-american-history/

 

-- © Copyright  THE HILL 2023-02-20

The 442nd, the most decorated regiment in US Military history:

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/the-nisei-soldiers-who-fought-wwii-enemies-abroad-seen-as-enemies-back-home
 

 

 

 

In hindsight I agree it was and still is a shameful piece of our history that beeing said looking through the lense of time I can see how the leadership at the time thought it was prudent it’s the aftermath and lack of support thease American families received/ did NOT receive is the most shameful thing imo

1 hour ago, Tug said:

In hindsight I agree it was and still is a shameful piece of our history that beeing said looking through the lense of time I can see how the leadership at the time thought it was prudent it’s the aftermath and lack of support thease American families received/ did NOT receive is the most shameful thing imo

Well, if you can see that it was prudent, how to justify not doing the same to Italian Americans who, like Japanese Americans were also overwhelmingly immigrants or their children? And there were a whole lot more of them. Clearly, the reason the Japanese were locked up was because of racism.

I'd have thought Joe had more pressing issues than pearl clutching/hand wringing about something that happened 80 years ago?

Off topic "whataboutary" posts and replies have been removed.

It was the same in Australia but Germans were locked up as well.

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

I'd have thought Joe had more pressing issues than pearl clutching/hand wringing about something that happened 80 years ago?

Some folks are capable of multitasking.

3 hours ago, JonnyF said:

I'd have thought Joe had more pressing issues than pearl clutching/hand wringing about something that happened 80 years ago?

A welcome change from inciting hatred against East Asians from a President that is delivering for Americans on so many fronts.

 

 

Edited February 20, 20233 yr by Chomper Higgot

There were hundreds of years of racism prior to the war. The Chinese, who were excused from the camps, were still "<deleted>" to Americans. Americans of Japanese descent volunteered to join up and were often sent on suicide missions.

Germans had been one of the largest immigrant groups in the US but could not be distinguished by their features so evaded internment. Such a sad tale. 

Edited February 20, 20233 yr by metisdead
Derogatory ethnic slur toward Chinese people comment edited out.

*Deleted post edited out*

 

Except he’s doing a good job getting Americans into work and rebuilding the economy.

 

Your Sterling efforts to try to detract from Biden doing something decent in recognizing the persecution of Japanese Americans are sounding a lot like sour grapes.

 

I’ll grant you, he seems not to be spending too much time playing golf.

Edited February 20, 20233 yr by Scott

6 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

True.

 

However, Joe Biden appears to have his work cut out doing one simple task at a time.

Just curious, which is a simple task? N. Korea? Ukraine? Domestic economy? The Peoples Republic of China? (Related to that, keeping the international South China Sea lanes open under international law, trade, spy balloons, Taiwan ...). I am told that there are those who see the world around them as just simple yes/no, right/wrong answers. Guess I am not one of them, my reality is complex and filled with the need, at the Presidential level for many subtleties that are above my pay grade (Ha! given that I am retired).

And has anything been done in terms of compensation...

1 minute ago, Andycoops said:

And has anything been done in terms of compensation...

Refer linked article:

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/08/09/210138278/japanese-internment-redress

Maybe the attack on Pearl Harbour swayed their thinking.

2 minutes ago, kidneyw said:

Maybe the attack on Pearl Harbour swayed their thinking.

Are people of Japanese ethnicity born in the US and never been to Japan still Japanese?

interesting that the Japanese set up camps during the second world war where horrific experiments were conducted on Chinese civilians. The United states gave sanctuary and citizenship to the Japanese 'scientists' who conducted  those experiments and immunity from prosecution after the surrender of the Japanese

4 hours ago, RobU said:

interesting that the Japanese set up camps during the second world war where horrific experiments were conducted on Chinese civilians. The United states gave sanctuary and citizenship to the Japanese 'scientists' who conducted  those experiments and immunity from prosecution after the surrender of the Japanese

While it's true that the US covered up Japanese scientists' war crimes, I'm unable to find any evidence that it gave sanctuary and citizenship to the Japanese 'scientists' who conducted  those experiments. After all, by refusing to prosecute, what incentive did these scientists have to relocate.

Here's a good summary of US actions in regards to Japanese scientists and how its actions differed from the steps it took against German scientists.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487829/

6 hours ago, placeholder said:

While it's true that the US covered up Japanese scientists' war crimes, I'm unable to find any evidence that it gave sanctuary and citizenship to the Japanese 'scientists' who conducted  those experiments. After all, by refusing to prosecute, what incentive did these scientists have to relocate.

Here's a good summary of US actions in regards to Japanese scientists and how its actions differed from the steps it took against German scientists.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4487829/

. I agree there is a dearth of internet articles about the relocation and sanctuary however those monsters had very good reasons to relocate. Post war Japan was a mess like Germany. Life for those criminals and their families was much more comfortable in the USA with the opportunity to work with the US scientists who received the data confiscated from their activities and  consolidate their 'research' hence continue their 'work' at Camp Detrick (Now Fort Detrick) producing biological weapons.

Edited February 21, 20233 yr by RobU

As his presidency is turning out to be ... IMHO

... "‘one of the most shameful periods in American history’

 

And most of the other administration this century, and prior, from 1963 onward.

10 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

As his presidency is turning out to be ... IMHO

... "‘one of the most shameful periods in American history’

 

And most of the other administration this century, and prior, from 1963 onward.

That’s only an insight into your personal bias.

 

 

 

On 2/20/2023 at 9:23 PM, wwest5829 said:

Just curious, which is a simple task? N. Korea? Ukraine? Domestic economy? The Peoples Republic of China? (Related to that, keeping the international South China Sea lanes open under international law, trade, spy balloons, Taiwan ...). I am told that there are those who see the world around them as just simple yes/no, right/wrong answers. Guess I am not one of them, my reality is complex and filled with the need, at the Presidential level for many subtleties that are above my pay grade (Ha! given that I am retired).

Just curious, but do you think that Biden sorts all those by himself, or do you think that a vast army of government researchers actually do the work, present a variety of options to him and an array of "advisors" "assist" him to decide which option to pursue?

16 hours ago, KhunLA said:

As his presidency is turning out to be ... IMHO

... "‘one of the most shameful periods in American history’

 

And most of the other administration this century, and prior, from 1963 onward.

There have been many, many shameful periods in American history, and though I wouldn't put Biden's time as the worst, I think history will regard it as evidence of one of the failings of democracy that an ( IMO ) incompetent was elected as POTUS.

28 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

There have been many, many shameful periods in American history, and though I wouldn't put Biden's time as the worst, I think history will regard it as evidence of one of the failings of democracy that an ( IMO ) incompetent was elected as POTUS.

Biden is incompetent?  Are you aware that the President who preceded Biden has zero government experience and a checkered business history, at best, and showed it once in office?

42 minutes ago, heybruce said:

Biden is incompetent?  Are you aware that the President who preceded Biden has zero government experience and a checkered business history, at best, and showed it once in office?

Donald Trump ?

 

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Just curious, but do you think that Biden sorts all those by himself, or do you think that a vast army of government researchers actually do the work, present a variety of options to him and an array of "advisors" "assist" him to decide which option to pursue?

That's the smart play. Unlike Trump who ignored sane advice and went by his gut feelings. A man who couldn't find Ukraine on a map. .

Edited February 21, 20233 yr by ozimoron

5 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Just curious, but do you think that Biden sorts all those by himself, or do you think that a vast army of government researchers actually do the work, present a variety of options to him and an array of "advisors" "assist" him to decide which option to pursue?

We both are very well aware that heads of organizations all use the expertise of the best advisors they can attract. Some chose to ignore the expertise and some time the expertise is faulty ... sadly.

On 2/20/2023 at 7:50 PM, kidneyw said:

Maybe the attack on Pearl Harbour swayed their thinking.

Yep I'm sure ..it would certainly have swayed mine 

Off topic deflection posts and the replies have been removed.