Japanese Americans are criticizing Andrew Yang's call for Asian Americans to display patriotism during the coronavirus pandemic. - NBCAsianAmerica
“The article brought back memories of elders telling us how they were instructed by organizations to be ‘good Americans,’ when just being American should have been enough,” Embrey said, referring to the period when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941 and Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which provided for the forced mass removal and incarceration of more than 110,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry in violation of their constitutional rights as U.S. citizens.
“During World War II, Japanese Americans volunteered for military duty at the highest possible levels to demonstrate that they were Americans,” Yang wrote. “Now many in the Asian American community are stepping up, trying to demonstrate that we can be part of the solution.”“While it’s true that the units started out recruiting volunteers, the government eventually drafted Japanese Americans from the concentration camps,” Ikeda said.
“Military service and laying down your life has never been the golden ticket into being accepted,” Tajima-Peña said. “It’s offensive to think that you have to risk your life to prove your belonging in this country. I’m proud of my dad, my uncles, and grandfather for their service, but these families paid a big price."
“They knew that what the government was doing was unconstitutional and illegal, and to falsely incarcerate them and expect them to sacrifice their lives was wrong,” said Shirley Ann Higuchi, chair of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation. “No American citizen should have to go to those lengths to prove their loyalty.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Andrew Yang Says Coronavirus Triggered Racism Against AsiansAndrew Yang says many Americans are unfairly aiming their coronavirus hostilities at people of Asian descent.
Read more »
Andrew Yang says Asian Americans are 'stepping up' to fight coronavirus amid racist attacksThe entrepreneur said he felt 'self-conscious' of being an Asian American on a recent shopping trip for groceries.
Read more »
Lana Condor Called Trump Out for His Racist 'Chinese Virus' COVID-19 Rhetoric'You have no idea the ramifications your racist words & actions have on the Asian American community.'
Read more »
Poet Cathy Park Hong on 'Minor Feelings' and this moment in Asian America'Right now, Asians are seen as diseases, which reminds me of the late 1800s, when Chinese immigrants were seen as vermin. It's like the return of the yellow peril,' poet Cathy Park Hong says.
Read more »
Heart Patients Need to Be Wary of CoronavirusPeople with high blood pressure and heart disease may be vulnerable to complications from COVID-19, heart experts say.
Read more »