Monterey County issues formal apology to Japanese American community for World War II internment

East Bay Times ^ | February 14, 2018 | Jim Johnson

[artichokegrower]

Shortly after the Empire of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Gary Tanimura’s family was among the more than 3,500 Japanese and Japanese Americans living in the Monterey Bay area who were stripped of their land and possessions, and detained with the help of the Monterey County Sheriff at the Salinas Armory and the Salinas Rodeo Grounds before being shipped to an internment camp in Poston, Arizona, under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s infamous Executive Order 9066.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Movies upstage constitutions of course.

[TangoLimaSierra]

Thanks for bringing that up. Most people don’t think of that. Some Americans over there just disappeared.

[ealgeone]

An estimated 11,000 Germans and 3,000 Italians were interned.

[SuperLuminal]

"There is absolutely NO comparison between these two things."

Not so, IMHO (Since I am old enough to remember, first hand, both case clearly.)

The Japs worshiped their emperor as a god and, as a result, could be expected to aid their homeland during the war (as some did prior to Dec 1941 in Hawaii). Internment was a reasonable and necessary strategy.

The millions and millions of migrant Mexican invaders over-running the U.S. remain citizens of Mexico in act and deed, waving flags, refusing to speak English, or follow our laws. They worship and exploit our money and welfare state and, as a result, export billions of dollars each year to their homeland. Internment (then deportation) is a reasonable and necessary strategy if this Nation is to have a chance to survive.

In both cases, survival of the Nation has always been the key issue.

[BeauBo]

"There were probably several reasons for the roundup of American citizens. Was safety one of them????

"The basis for the authority of the WWII Japanese regime, was the Shinto doctrine of Japanese racial descent from Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, united by the Goddess' representative on Earth, the Emperor. Accordingly, they claimed that all ethnic Japanese were religiously and racially bound to loyalty to the Emperor. That presented a unique security threat within the USA.

The corollary, was that all non-Japanese ethnicities were excluded from that divinely ordained community. While Japanese-Americans were collected into camps during the war, non Japanese in Japan were overwhelmingly expelled or killed (thousands being used for Nazi-like experiments and weapons development, such as by Unit 731). The Japanese had been on a program of racially-driven massacres and atrocities in Asia, such as the Rape of Nanking, and the largest use of biological weapons against civilians during the 20th century (sometimes called the Asian Holocaust), before war was declared against the US.

Immediately upon declaring war, all Americans were rounded up in Japan (Man, Woman and Child), and calls went out to Japanese in America to uphold their sacred duty to join the fight on behalf of the Emperor. Japanese Americans were sorely inconvenienced by having to live in camps in the US during the war, while Americans in Japan and prisoners of war were routinely starved to death and executed by the tens of thousands.

[Michael.SF.]

One factor that gets overlooked is that the incarceration of the J-Americans was also a huge land grab.

Southern California in particular was a rich agricultural area with much of the land owned by the JA's. That land was confiscated for non payment of taxes.

If FDR was going to be fair (he had no intention of that), then all property would have been put into trusts and returned to the owners after the war.

[PeterPrinciple]

There were probably several reasons for the roundup of American citizens.

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Sure there were several reasons. Our defense was one of them. It was war and we didn’t know exactly who are enemies were.

But it is a fact that Hirohito demanded safe return of Japanese citizens and other assets.

[Mears]

“Not so, IMHO (Since I am old enough to remember, first hand, both case clearly.)”

—

I am old enough to remember also and most Nisei were as loyal to this country as any other 2nd generation group.

.

[jacknhoo]

Does the anti-Americanism ever break these days?

[SkyDancer]

Why? It was FDR who did it. What’s that got to do with today? The wall is to keep people who are not legally allowed to be here, not keep people in who want to leave like the Berlin Wall.

[GreenLanternCorps]

No, they did not.

Japan did not have the troops, shipping or resources to invade Hawaii, let alone the West coast of the United States.

The Pearl Harbor attack required a herculean effort to get six carriers and escorts close to Hawaii for a 2 hour raid.

The Imperial Japanese Army allocated all of 11 divisions to attack The Philippines, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies.

The rest of the IJA was tied down in China, Manchuria, Korea, or The Home Islands.

Add to that Japan was already short of merchant shipping.

An invasion of the mainland US in force was never remotely possible.

[sargon]

An estimated 11,000 Germans and 3,000 Italians were interned.

They deserve apologies too...

[cherry]

my father left HS early so he could defend his country and the world....

no one gives two cents about his suffering....

sorry about the American Japanese but they at least were protected on American soil while our GI fathers were on enemy soil fighting evil people that not only bombed Honolulu but also tortured and killed many Americans.....

[El Cid]

Re: 24

Good post, and I agree.
Michelle Malkin had a book titled 'A Case for Internment' that laid out the rationale for the interment of American citizens of Japanese descent in WWII.
Yes it sucked, but it is hard to comprehend how it could have been avoided. Japan destroyed much of our Pacific fleet; there were legitimate concerns about Japanese invasions of the West Coast (particularly as they rolled through much of the Pacific); and prior to WWII many of these American citizens had joined organizations that pledged allegiance to the Emperor.
As noted, many of these citizens proved their mettle and courage during WWII as they fought for our Country - while many of their relatives were interned - but the rationale for the internment was sound.

It was unfortunate, but get over it, and stop digging at scabs. I know it is the anti-American way to do so - but this attitude helps no one (except for the communists and American haters). It doesn't help the Nation, nor those who cultivate a victimization mentality.

[VanDeKoik]

Let’s just say they didn’t even make it....Midway.

[PeterPrinciple]

Allegedly,but it really was racism.

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The propaganda machine as worked well with you.................

[Mears]

The common sense machine worked better.

.

[dfwgator]

These people had a serious harm done to them as they were American citizens. This harm was done by a Democrat President. They are diluting their message tying in with the current open borders crowd.

Easy to say with the benefit of hindsight.

Here's a question, let's say we go to war with China, what are you going to do with all the Chinese living here who were born in China?

[VanDeKoik]

The reasons were weak even if there was a chance of a 5th column.

I think more German-Americans physically went back to Germany to fight than any Japanese-American.

2 gen Japanese from here would have not even been accepted warmly if they did try.

[VanDeKoik]

“It was unfortunate, but get over it”

That’s a pretty stupid demand to make of these people.

Yeah we put you American citizens in camps, and you or your reletives went on to be some of our best troops, but STFU about it because that was like ages ago?