Japanese Americans

[Guest guest]

I wish to use a piece of American history to

illustrate a point about what is happening in the

world at the present time.

During the Second World War of 1939-1945, the

United States and many other countries fought against

Germany, Italy, and Japan. As everyone knows, the USA

is a land of immigrants and the children of

immigrants. There are many people in the US whose

parents or grandparents or great-grandparents came

here from Germany, Italy, and Japan. The commander of

the US army in Europe during the war was a man with

the very German name of Eisenhower.

Americans of Japanese ancestry live mostly in

Hawaii and California. During the war, there was an

enormous amount of prejudice against the Japanese. The

government decided to move all the Japanese in

California from their homes and into camps in rural

areas. They lived in small, hastily built homes and

were not allowed to leave.

Yes, I know what you are thinking. This is exactly

what the Nazis were doing to the Jews at the same

time. The US camps had no torture or gas chambers or

anything of the sort. But the people lost their homes

and their jobs and their businesses because of this.

The US government has in recent years admitted that

this was wrong and apologized to the Americans of

Japanese ancestry for the mistreatment that they

suffered.

The question is: was the prejudice justified? Were

these Americans of Japanese ancestry loyal to their

ancestral homeland in Japan? Or were they patriotic

Americans?

Many Japanese men in Hawaii and California

voluntarily joined the US Army. This included many of

the men who were living in these camps. They fought

very bravely. One unit of the army comprised mostly of

Japanese-Americans won many medals for heroism

fighting in the mountains of Italy. One of these men,

Daniel Inouye, lost his right arm fighting Nazis in

Italy. He later served many years as a member of the

US Senate.

Similar things are happening today. There are many

moslems living in the United States. Many are

immigrants from various moslem countries. Others are

converts. There are many Americans of African ancestry

(descendants of slaves) who have converted to Islam.

It is very possible that a few of these people

hate the United States and will help Al Qaida and

other terrorist groups to attack the USA. But it is

more likely that many American moslems love their

country very deeply and would defend it bravely, in

the same manner that Americans of Japanese ancestry

did years ago. It is stupid and ignorant to assume

that all moslems hate the USA.

The converse is true also. It is stupid and

ignorant to assume that all non-moslem Americans hate

moslems. Some do, certainly, and some of these people

are dangerous. But is is never correct to assume that

all the people of a certain ethnic group or a certain

religion or a certain gender are of the same opinion

and to be blamed for what other members of that group

may do.

Let us remember this always. Let us judge each

person as an individual, never as a member of a group.

And let us reach out to peoples of all nations, all

faiths, and all ethnic groups, and build bridges of

love and friendship. Let us never hate people blindly

without knowing what is truly in their hearts.

 

Sister Usha Devi

 

=====

Sister Usha Devi

Founder, Divinely Female and worshipper of the Sacred Flame that shines inside

every woman

 

 

 

SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month!

http://sbc.