For whatever reason, I think many (most?) Japanese hyphenated Americans support liberal Democrats. I look here in the Bay Area and you have leftists such as Honda, Matsui, and the former Congressman Minetta - these are all extreme leftists. The last one with decent ethics was the honorable SI Hayakawa -- but that was around 30 years ago. My close friend (College roommate) and his Mom are fairly conservative -- but I believe the interment experience has left some scars (albeit not enough to vote lefty)...
Crap happens. Sure, I wish we hadn't interned American citizens - but to be fair, I can understand it. We just had our Pacific fleet sunk; the Japanese had taken over the Philippines and imprisoned many American soldiers ... it really wasn't a time for rational, calm, thinking. The focus was to win the war. I wish we hadn't gone the interment route -- but its easy to play Monday morning quarterback some 70 years after Pearl Harbor and Corregidor. I don't condemn those who made the decision (although I'm no FDR fan) - they were living in tough times. And they won the war.
I was a youth in Phoenix when one day I saw a couple of busses pullup -in front of the YMCA. I heard the people, all Japanese were going/being taken to a relocation camp. I had serious misgivings about what I saw. As the war progressed and I was drafted and my brother was killed on Okinawa and I had more insight, I thought about the people on the busses a bit differently. The USA was fighting for It’s very existance not some border conflict, no doubt about that. The Japs( war time soldiers language) had been in Hawaii, Alaska and had even brought the war to the mainland by bombs and submarines. In the dire days this Nation could not afford any fifth column Japanese. Like today with the Muslims when and if push came to shove who would stand with whom? As much as Roosevelt’s decision to intern Japanese,not all were citizens, seemed too gross as a defence against a possible calamity it took into account a possibility that would have been worse than at Nanking ,Shanghai and other occupied cities . After Wake Island when the USA did not have such fear of Jap sea power invading the USA or even Hawaii perhaps the internment camps could have/should have been closed. As with much of happenings in life the little words ‘if only’ could be asked . With this being said there should be many thanks to the Japanese who served this Nation to highest honors in spite of the bitter sweet experience of the internment camps. For me though the cost of my brother’s life along with so many other young men to make sure there would be no Jap invasion of our soil softens my memory of that day in Phoenix.
I was a youth in Phoenix when one day I saw a couple of busses pullup -in front of the YMCA. I heard the people, all Japanese were going/being taken to a relocation camp. I had serious misgivings about what I saw. As the war progressed and I was drafted and my brother was killed on Okinawa and I had more insight, I thought about the people on the busses a bit differently. The USA was fighting for It’s very existance not some border conflict, no doubt about that. The Japs( war time soldiers language) had been in Hawaii, Alaska and had even brought the war to the mainland by bombs and submarines. In the dire days this Nation could not afford any fifth column Japanese. Like today with the Muslims when and if push came to shove who would stand with whom? As much as Roosevelt’s decision to intern Japanese,not all were citizens, seemed too gross as a defence against a possible calamity it took into account a possibility that would have been worse than at Nanking ,Shanghai and other occupied cities . After Wake Island when the USA did not have such fear of Jap sea power invading the USA or even Hawaii perhaps the internment camps could have/should have been closed. As with much of happenings in life the little words ‘if only’ could be asked . With this being said there should be many thanks to the Japanese who served this Nation to highest honors in spite of the bitter sweet experience of the internment camps. For me though the cost of my brother’s life along with so many other young men to make sure there would be no Jap invasion of our soil softens my memory of that day in Phoenix.
I know some JAs in the San Fran area who are NOT mind-numbed, knee-jerk, robot-like Leftwingtards. I know others in Souvrn' California who are hard-core Republicans. Even know a fellow who used to be a raving maniac Democrat until he found out the Jimmy Carter campaign really didn't want any Asians around in the main campaign staff.
I think he gave up politics.
What you encounter with JAs is called "assimilation" ~ so they pretty much reflect the population at large.
One big exception ~ in Hawaii the Japanese ARE the Democrat party.
Those who actually suffered are more stoic and philosophical about their experience, and more likely to be conservative.