Prejudice, Fear, Anger, Stupidity and Hysteria
I am responding to the letter “We Did What We Had to Do to Win.” In light of what we now know concerning acts of terror committed by Al-Qaeda, the Islamic extremist organization, I would like Mr. Jolley, or anyone else for that matter, to answer all of the who, what, where, when, how and why questions (the discovery phase) that arise in connection with the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were transported to relocation camps because they were potential subversives or terrorists who might engage in sabotage against the United States of America.

Let us assume that the Japanese government planted sleeper cells in the United States before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Who were the leaders of the organization in Japan that directed these terrorist activities? What was the name of the organization? Where were the terrorist training camps located in Japan? How did the leaders in Japan communicate with Japanese American support and operations agents in the United States? What intelligence was gathered about potential targets in the United States by these sleeper cells? What supplies and equipment, like explosives, were purchased by Japanese American terrorists inside the United States? What practice sessions were held in the United States to perfect the terrorist attacks and where and when did the practice sessions occur? What role did Japanese American children play in these terrorist activities?

Now, let us assume that the Japanese government did not plant sleeper cells in the United States. Let us assume that the Japanese Americans themselves spontaneously created a terrorist organization after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Who were the leaders of the organization in the United States that directed these terrorist activities and where was their headquarters? What was the name of the organization? What was the source of their funding? Where were the Japanese American terrorist training camps located in the United States? How did the leaders in the United States communicate with Japanese American support and operations agents throughout the West Coast? What intelligence was gathered about potential targets in the United States by Japanese Americans? What supplies and equipment, like explosives, were purchased by Japanese American terrorists inside the United States? What practice sessions were held in the United States to perfect the terrorist attacks and where and when did the practice sessions occur? What role did Japanese American children play in these terrorist activities?

Are there any records in the files of the local police, the state patrol, the F.B.I. or American military intelligence groups that contain any facts or evidence that address these questions?

I am 67 years old and I have never read any newspaper or magazine article, never seen any television show, never watched any documentary film, and never spoken to any person in the United States that reported that there were facts or evidence of Japanese American terrorist activities in the United States. Then why were Japanese American men, women and children ordered to go to relocation camps?

They were sent to relocation camps because of prejudice, discrimination, ignorance, fear, anger, stupidity and hysteria.

I am currently reading Imperfect Justice—Looted Assets, Slave Labor, and the Unfinished Business of World War II by Stuart E. Eisenstat. This book deals with the subject of restitution. In the forward, Elie Wiesel writes: “Those books I purchased with my pocket money in my childhood are lying in dust. Who can give them back to me? Who will give me back the tephilin of my father and grandfather? I remember a little girl, a beautiful innocent little girl with golden hair and blue eyes, who had taken her most cherished possession with her, a beautiful scarf she had received as a Passover gift. Are there enough funds in the world to compensate her brother for that stolen scarf?”

For Japanese Americans there is unfinished business from World War II in the United States. Who, when, where, what, why, and how will that business be finished?

Paul Nutkowitz, ’67
Lawrenceville, N.J.

Chris Jolley reponds:
I feel it is my duty to respond to all the attacks aimed at me in the last issue of Columns.

In response to Mark Wardlaw, my argument that liberals put themselves ahead of their country is relevant to the topic. I brought up the topic, so I would know if it was relevant. It was not only relevant, but it was the very topic itself. Allow me to repeat myself in simpler English. Ninety percent of the series “The Stolen Years” focused on how one Japanese American fought his way to the Supreme Court for his personal rights at the time of war. Among the remaining 10 percent, the series mentioned in a small paragraph a real hero who volunteered in the US military and worked with General MacArthur in the Pacific theater as an interpreter. I argued that more attention should have been given to the soldier than the civil rights defender. I would have loved to have read more about that story.

Perhaps I wasn’t clear when I wrote “other regular citizens.” It seems that Mark Wardlaw understood that phrase as people other than Japanese American citizens. I meant other regular citizens as opposed to citizens in the military. Military personnel make an oath above that of “regular citizens,” therefore they are asked to sacrifice more on behalf of their country than “regular citizens” are asked to sacrifice. My apologies.

I never said the sacrifices of the general American citizenry equaled the sacrifices of the interned citizenry. If you are thinking the general American citizenry sacrificed then like we are now, you are greatly mistaken. The sacrifice of the general American citizenry now during this war is microscopic compared to that during World War II.

I have to give kudos to John Dumas who made a clever joke at my expense. I hope that he would not make a practice of making jokes at other people’s expenses. However, I don’t hold any hard feelings against him. 

Nancy Anderson argued that “Republicans in power” such as Cheney and Bush do not support my argument that “liberals always put themselves ahead of their country and conservatives put their country ahead of themselves.” I would think that Bush and Cheney would have a hard time proving in court that they are conservative. I live in arguably the most conservative state in the nation and the most conservative county in that state: I know a conservative when I see one. The “W” in George W. Bush is really an upside down “M” for moderate.

How many times do we have to say that German and Italian Americans were also interned? At least one more time for Dan Jolivet. Please don’t try to rewrite history, Mr. Jolivet. I wonder if interned German and Italian Americans are offended that you try to erase the sacrifices they made for their country? I agree with Mr. Jolivet that interning a people based on race is racism. Doing anything based on race is racism—by definition. I agree with him that “racism is fundamentally inconsistent with the American ideal.”  “The Stolen Years” didn’t directly address the morality of the issue, as Mr. Jolivet claims. Since he brought it up, let me say that we could debate the morality of interning American citizens for 50 years (as I believe we have) and not come to a consensus. One way we will know for sure if something is moral or not, is to ask God Himself. (I had to say that just to stir up the liberal moral relativists in the readership.) 

Paul Nutkowitz said he had never witnessed any newspaper, magazine, television, film, or person that claimed Japanese Americans had exercised any act of insurgency. He said “terrorist activities”, but I know what he meant. It took me about 10 minutes to find it on the internet. Maybe Mr. Nutkowitz ought to try that medium. Try wikipedia.org under “Japanese American internment.” While you are in wikipedia.org, look up German and Italian internments.

Just for the record, I’ve softened my position. After careful thought, I believe that if someone swears allegiance to this nation, then that person should be trusted. All naturalized citizens swear allegiance to the United States of America, therefore all American citizens should be on equal grounds no matter who the enemy is. I’m not too proud to admit I was wrong.

Chris Jolley, ’92
American Fork, Utah

An Insult to Those Who Persevered
I have never written a letter to the editor before. I received the March 2006 issue of Columns and am compelled to write this in response to Carl T. Kostol’s letter. [Kostol said that Japanese Americans were free to move out of the West Coast restricted zone and only those who refused were sent to “relocation centers.”]

I am a fourth-generation Japanese American who was born and raised in Seattle. I am very proud of the fact that my grandfather and my great-uncle volunteered for the U.S. Army and served in the 442nd Regiment while they, and their families, were being “merely relocated” to camps, as Kostol so poorly put it. I feel that the sacrifice that this generation of Japanese Americans made, and many did so with their lives, paved the path for my generation and enabled us to assimilate in this great country of ours.

My mother is turning 75 this year and remains in the Seattle area. She, along with my father, both sets of grandparents and extended family were all sent to the internment camps. Homes, businesses and other property were basically lost by this group of American citizens because of the hysteria that ran rampant. More importantly, lives were changed forever.

Kostol states that Columns is doing its readers a disservice, and I quote, “when you do not differentiate between the internees and the Japanese Americans who merely had to relocate.” I believe that Kostol is caught up in the semantics of this issue, and it is he who is guilty of the disservice. Looking at this as if it were a mere inconvenience to be relocated to the internment camps is an insult to all of those who persevered during this shameful period in our history.

Scott T. Koizumi ’85
Fairfield, Calif.