Subject: Revisionist JA History
I am writing because I am concerned about a Japanese American site that is
being developed on Netscape's "Open Directory".
Since the development of the "Open Directory", a search for "Japanese
American"
now brings up a "History" directory which is filled with a predominance of
revisionist and misinforming links regarding history and the internment of
Japanese Americans during WWII. The editor of the section "Military/Relocation
and Internment" has put together this directory of sites:
http://directory.netscape.com/Society/Military/History/United_States/World_War_II/Relocation_and_Internment/?cp=srpmatcat
Last week I wrote a general letter of concern to "Feedback" asking if Netscape
can do anything to inform people that this directory contains dangerous
biases.
And suggested one of the first sites to be added to "History" should be
the Civil Liberties Public Education Fund
(http://www.clpef.net/)
But I haven't yet received a response.
We have a small bookstore and have always tried to maintain a solid collection
of titles about Japanese American history and culture. And during the past few
years, I have bookmarked a long list of good internet sites to help me in my
own research for information.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help you develop a better
search site for Netscape.
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> A search for "Japanese American" now brings up a "History" directory
> which is filled with a predominance of revisionist and misinforming
> links regarding history and the internment of Japanese Americans
> during WWII.
I've seen some of these biased "revisionist" history websites too,
and also a bit concerned. The Internet
is open to the "freedom of speech", but Japanese Americans also
need to speak back to defend our position -- even in this world
of the Internet (and we aren't doing it). Lillian Baker
fortunately didn't have Internet access, but now there are
similar people who do, with a lot of energy and time on their
hands to spread their views.
Some of the "biased" websites I've seen on JA history mention
some things as:
- The JA internment was completely justified for JAs who were
non-citizens, and similar to POW camps, and they should not have
obtained redress. (Maybe non-citizens have no rights,
but there is no mention that naturalized US citizenship wasn't
possible then for Asians, or the Asian exclusion laws.)
- Race was never a factor in the JA internment, since there were
also camps for Germans and Italians. (They don't distinguish
between POW camps and the internment of citizens.)
- They mention cases of WWII espionage/spying by Japanese
Americans for Japan, and that there was a real danger.
(I don't know if these cases were documented or fabricated.)
In summary, the majority of these websites say that the WWII JA
Internment was a justified military action, and it's OK for it
to happen again -- which goes against the struggle JAs have
fought for so long to show otherwise. If you want to post any
opinions to the JA*Net bulletin board
(www.janet.org), you're welcome.
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> Some of the "biased" websites I've seen on JA history mention
> some things as:
>
> Race was never a factor in the JA internment, since there were
> also camps for Germans and Italians. (They don't distinguish
> between POW camps and the internment of citizens.)
Here is a link for an article that I read in today's edition of
Contra Costa Times:
http://www.hotcoco.com/news/contracosta/eastcc/stories/cng65937.htm
- article about Italians who were not citizens being interned.
Growing up I (a young post-War nisei)
didn't hear much about JAs or anyone else being interned.
I have read a lot about in the past 5 years and it still shocks me.
I know most people do not wish to bring it up or just want to move on,
but speaking for myself and others who are still learning about it,
It helps a lot to discuss it than to just brush it like dust under
the carpet. (^_^)
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> A search for "Japanese American" now brings up a "History" directory
> which is filled with a predominance of revisionist and misinforming
> links regarding history and the internment of Japanese Americans
> during WWII.
You might also want to check out Lillian Baker's site too (don't have
its URL handy). Baker is the racist who claimed that Japanese Americans
deserved to be imprisoned for disloyalty, and that we've all been brainwashed
the government into making reparations and redress.
There's also a guy who
is nearly as loony in suggesting that German Americans were treated no
better than JAs, maybe worse. He too has a book and a web site, but I
can't name either right now.
Fox is more even-handed. But he fails to make
crucial distinctions between the significance of categories: among
European Americans, "enemy aliens" and outright criminals were imprisoned,
whereas for JAs the whole population of the "Restricted Zones" was
evacuated. Even if 120,000 European Americans had been imprisoned (that was the
number of JAs imprisoned), this would represent a tiny fraction of all
Americans of European descent, whereas it represented, I believe, more
than 90 percent of JAs. This is not to say that the European American
internees weren't badly treated, but that the situations are not really
comparable. So it's incorrect to claim that all these JAs were imprisoned
and no EAs were. But it's equally incorrect to reduce EA internment
(mostly in camps operated by the Department of Justice, not by WRA) to the
same level of injustice. (It's significant that among EAs there were no
court cases comparable to the Hirabayashi, Yasui, Korematsu, and Endo
cases. The government, however flimsily, found justification in the 1790
statute granting them authority over "enemy aliens.")
In Roger Daniels's
book "The Decision To Relocate the Japanese Americans" (I'm botching the
title, I'm afraid) are documents showing the processes by which military
and government officials in 1941 and 1942 evolved their policies. John De
Witt, in particular, seemed at times to be fiercely hostile to German and
Italian Americans, but when the crucial decision-making moment came, he
backed off EAs and resorted to all sorts of racist claims against JAs. And
President Roosevelt's vicious stereotypes of Italians were apparently
common knowledge among White House staff. The history is really
interesting on this point, but in the end you cannot help but conclude
that JAs were singled out for racial reasons.
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> You might also want to check out Lillian Baker's site too (don't have
> its URL handy). Baker is the racist who claimed that Japanese Americans
> deserved to be imprisoned for disloyalty, and that we've all brainwashed
> the government into making reparations and redress.
Here is the URL of an article about revisionist Internment history,
with links to the site posted by Baker's supporters and other relevant sites:
Concentration Camp or Summer Camp?
http://www.mojones.com/news_wire/ito.html
Nisei, Issei and Espionage in WW-II
http://www.cris.com/~Danford/nisei.htm
- this is another revisionist site that is more subtle
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> < Revisionist JA history webpage link >
Acknowledging that all history -- if not all media -- is inescapably
revionist, here's some more about that page:
That text about internment came from the Web site for Pacific Northwest
Publishers, which sells both travelogue books about the NW and also books
about the Internment (by Lillian Baker, whom I'm afraid I don't know much
about). Here's the URL for the page on internment books:
Internment Books
http://www.sharplink.com/pnwbooks/docs/relocation.html
And here's the home page for the publisher:
Pacific Northwest Publishers
http://www.sharplink.com/pnwbooks/nidx.html
And, here's the promotional text for a book titled "The japanning of
America":
To "japan" is a method to "cover and conceal," (something painted over)
applies here to the varnishing of historical truth and blackening of
America's honor by persons of Japanese ancestry in U.S.A. and in Japan.
This stuff really really scares me ...
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> books about internment (by Lillian Baker, whom I'm afraid
> I don't know much about).
Lillian Baker is a woman who believes that all Japanese Americans aided
Japan in its war against the U.S. and believes that the internment camps did
not exist. She vehemnetly opposed redress and testified such at all
hearings, especially those in California. She is based in Gardena, of all
places!
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> Lillian Baker is a woman who believes that all Japanese Americans
> aided Japan in its war against the U.S. and believes that the
> internment camps did not exist. She is based in Gardena, of all
> places!
"Was" -- Lillian Baker died a few years ago. I don't usually wish people ill, but her
death was none too soon in coming, in my opinion. She had twisted opinions and
propogated many untruths, and she did it with almost admirable energy and
commitment.
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> books about internment (by Lillian Baker, whom I'm afraid
> I don't know much about).
Lillian Baker might have been driven by her husband's death in the
Pacific -- somewhere I've read that he was tortured by Japanese soldiers. I bought
one of her books. They're self-published, or published by an organization she
was heavily involved/invested in. Her early books are tacky-looking,
unprofessional. The problem with such zealots as Baker is that they take a few
kernels of truth and concoct a myth from them. (She's the racial equivalent of a
conspiracy theorist.) The myth looks semi-believable only because the kernels
she's exploiting have the stamp of authenticity.
Curiously, Baker's other claim to fame is that she was a leading authority
on costume jewelry and hatpins. Most of her books are in these fields. Once I
introduced my students to the story of JA incarceration by showing them Lillian
Baker's Encyclopedia of Hatpins.
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> The problem with such zealots as Baker is that they take a few
> kernels of truth and concoct a myth from them. (She's the racist
> equivalent of a conspiracy theorist.) The myth looks semi-believable
> only because the kernels she's exploiting have the stamp of
> authenticity.
Baker probably lingered in the same delusional space as the
people who believe the Nazis didn't gas Jews.
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> Baker probably lingered in the same delusional space as
> the people who believe the Nazis didn't gas Jews.
There can never be enough evidence to satisfy a fanatic and it will usually
be frustrating to try and understand the logic of their argument.
Facts do not form the basis of their conclusions, rather an emotional and
even irrational concept forms the base, and all "facts" and "evidence" is
distinguished or discounted to conform to the concept. We must remember
that it wasn't so long ago that the government of the United States deprived
citizens of liberty, property and dignity ... notwithstanding the Bill of
Rights and our touted reliance on principles of due process and equal
protection. We must remember there was a time when checks and balances
against government abuse didn't work. We must continue to support
educational institutions and organizations committed to presenting the fact
of the internment.
Subject: Re: Revisionist History
> Lillian Baker might have been driven by her husband's death
> in the Pacific -- somewhere I've read that he was tortured
> by Japanese soldiers.
This helps explain some things, though certainly does not excuse them. More
reason to enlighten the mainstream to Nikkei history and differences between
Japanese and Japanese Americans.
> Curiously, Baker's other claim to fame is that she was
> a leading authority on costume jewelry and hatpins.
> Most of her books are in these fields. Once I introduced
> my students to the story of JA incarceration by showing
> them Lillian Baker's Encyclopedia of Hatpins.
Cool! You are helping paint a more vivid picture of this woman.
Last updated 23 April 2000