Hello, everyone.
I'm Victoria Holmes.
I'm English, Italian, Irish, Belgian, Welsh, German, Spanish, Micronesian, Jewish, Japanese, and American.
Those are my known racial backgrounds, though there might be more.
I'd like to talk today about racial pride.
I'm proud to be all of those races, but right now, I'd like to talk about being proud of being Japanese, of being Micronesian, and of being an American.
During World War II, the United States dropped the A bomb on Japan, specifically Hiroshima.
Tons of innocent Japanese were killed.
But for what? To prevent an uprising? To save American lives?
American lives were saved, and Japanese lives were lost.
I'm both American and Japanese, so I'm lost.
How should I feel about this?
In my opinion, since the Japanese were close to breaking due to the U.S.'s stranglehold on them,
it was morally wrong to just obliterate a whole city "just to be sure," in my humble opinion.
Those were my people killed.
Thousands of my people.
And it was also my people that killed them. The Americans killed them.
My great-grandfather was a Japanese orphan. He was adopted by a Spanish family, hence why my surname on my mother's side of the family is Spanish.
My great-grandfather moved to Guam and married a Spanish woman and she bore him eleven children, and bought five houses.
When WWII rolled around, my great-grandfather, his wife and 11 children were taken; not asked to leave, but forcibly removed and had their properties taken.
Because they were seen as a potential threat.
Then great-grandfather and his wife and kids were moved to San Fransisco--to be forced to live in a concentration camp; forced to live in a BARN, and raise their children there.
Should a child have to go through this ordeal, just because of geographical closeness to an enemy country, and because their father is a Japanese man?
My great-grandfather did NOTHING to warrant such treatment, nor did his wife or children.
How is this possibly acceptable by the U.S. as a victory?
Also, after WWII ended, my great-grandfather only got back two or three of his houses--he died without ever getting the rest of his property back.
Isn't it incredible that the groups of Italians LIVING IN the U.S. that openly supported Mussolini weren't removed?
Isn't it amazing that the Germans living in the U.S. weren't removed merely because they're German? Why did only the Japanese get that treatment?
I'm not sure what to be proud of, anymore. Should I even BE proud of anything?
Should I hate the U.S. for doing this to my family?
Should I hate the Japanese for bombing Pearl Harbor?
Should I hate the Germans because of Hitler?
Should I hate the Italians because of Mussolini?
No. I shouldn't.
That would make me as bad as the Americans who thought it would be a good idea to destroy a civilian city with a weapon that would have poor health effects on that nation for years to come.
I can honestly say that my relatives are the bigger people--every male relative on my mom's side of the family, save her younger brother who's half blind, has served in a war--on the American's side.
That's patriotism, that's dedication, that's love for your country--even when your country wouldn't love you.
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3 comments:
Hi Victoria,
I'm been to Hiroshima. Have you? If not, I think if it is in your power, you should go and see the remnants for yourself. I think you would be less confused if you did. You may be more angry at America, but at least you would have more data to form your beliefs and feelings. I've also read about the internment camps in the U.S. and did much research on the situations when I was younger. Although I do not believe in the Japanese educational system when teaching their students about the history of WWII in Japan, I also do not believe that any country should be threatened or punished with nuclear warfare. But these are just my opinions. Thanks for writing about this in your blog. Erin
Hi, Erin,thank you for your comment.
No, I actually haven't been to Hiroshima; my mother's financial situation probably wouldn't allow for it, and I speak little to no Japanese, though, despite those factors, I wouldn't mind visiting Hiroshima one day.
Also, a question about your comment on the Japanese teachings of WWII: why do you notagree with them? Are the teachings biased in some way?
And I agree with you on nuclear weaponry; it really should never be used, not only is it morally wrong, it severely damages the planet and its ecosystems, and that could quite possibly bring the end of all life. That would... Really blow, to make an understatement.
Vicky--if you want to study in Japan while you are at Temple, talk to me. We can make it work. Please try.
Traditional history in Japan "glosses over" the role that Japan played in WWII and other subsequent wars. Here is an example: http://www.imdiversity.com/Villages/Asian/history_heritage/pns_japan_history_0805.asp
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