From Alex:
The United States seems to have had a lot of discrimination to other races and ethnicities like the Chinese in Angel Island and the Japanese Internment camps during world war 2, however during 9/11 the Al Queda or the people of Middle Eastern decent where not put in the internment camps do you think this is due to the United States being more accepting of other races and acknowledging that just cause a few people does a bad thing doesn't mean a whole race is involved? Or do you think that
there are other reasons.
From Yuri:
We have been talking about racial discrimination a lot in class. Was there a time in your life that you felt discriminated or offended by a racial comment? Up to what point is it okay and when is it crossing the line?
I think this has to do more with fear and the time period it happened rather than race. During WW2 everyone in fear of what would happen and many horrible things that we cannot even imagine happened. Fear can sometimes drive people to do things they normally wouldn't do. Chinese in Angel Island and Japanese Internment are some examples. During that time these kinds of things were being done not only in the U.S. but all around the war. But by 9/11, the U.S. had apologized about the internment of the Japanese and the by then the world knew the things done during the war was wrong and urged to not let history repeat itself. But even though the people of Middle Eastern decent were not put into internment camps, they were harassed, threatened, treated unfairly from many people and the government also did not respond very ethically toward them. It's not whether who got it worst or who was put into where, the point is they were treated unfairly, were humiliated, and I think no one can say who got it worst or better; they all suffered.
ReplyDeleteI think it has to do with the public knowledge at the time during WWII. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor,news traveled fast that it was the Japanese. The 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center is a bit different because not everyone was sure who was behind the attack. To this day people still are incorrectly accusing the wrong people of the 9/11 attack. When the government put the Japanese in internment camps, they claimed that it was for their own protection from the violent public. The whole idea of the internment camps was wrong and a crime against humans. I think the reason people of Middle Eastern descent weren't put into internment camps is because the first one with the Japanese was a huge mistake and an embarrassment to the US. And in my opinion, if they had been put into internment camps, it would only anger the terrorists. They had already made an act of terrorism on US soil, the internment camps would only cause more violence and perhaps another reason for another attack.
ReplyDeleteI never care much for what others say because they're just being ignorant. Plus I always joke around with my friends and we would badmouth each other just for fun. However, one thing that I can't tolerate is when people say the only thing Vietnamese people know how to make it PHO!! it's so not true, just because the only Vietnamese food they've ate was pho doesn't mean that's the only think Vietnamese people know how to make. There are so much more delicious food and they're just missing out. It also bug me when people ask me "do you eat pho everday?!" LOL...OMG NO!
ReplyDeleteRacism is always been a topic and it's everywhere. yes, indeed i experienced once treated a racial comment, very offensive and i was hurt but i took it positively in a way that i work hard to be more successful in life.
ReplyDeleteI think.....mmmm the united States gov does not want poeple go on strike or civil problems. Since they were already in war so and for sure there were postests as well. If they keep people in camps, there will be more opposition voices, I mean at least do something which is less harmful, such as banned the immigrantion of the Middle Eastern people and exclution for them to vacation. Thats more reasonable but putting them in the camps just waste of too mcuh money and resources.
ReplyDeleteI've heard racial comments directed at me, but they where all really used jokingly some others where not and really I kind of just brushed it off, I only really think its crossing the line if they act upon something that they had said before.
ReplyDeleteThe internment of the Japanese was more of a xenophobic reaction to the bombing of WWII. The world was different then, and the immigrants back then were not willingly accepted as immigrants today are. The internment during WWII was a complete embarrassment to the United States government. They did not want to repeat that after the attacks of 9/11. I also firmly believe that if we interred a population generalized as "Muslims" or "Arabs," the resentment felt by many in the country would cause a PR disaster and a ripple effect that could lead to more 9/11-type attacks or a full-scale war on US soil.
ReplyDeleteI think the US didn't make the same mistake twice is because they have learned from their past blunders. They did not want history to repeat itself. I believe as a country we are more knowledgeable or accepting of situations like this and we know who is dangerous and who is not. However, even though we did not put any people of a certain race into internment camps after 9/11, Americans still looked at people of Middle Eastern descent suspiciously.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in Tennessee back in 2000. I observed some ugly relationships between the Whites and the Blacks. And I experienced a couple discrimination in Tennessee. There weren't many Asians while I was in Tennessee; majority was the Whites. When I moved to San Jose, CA, I was surprised at Asians and the Whites getting along well
ReplyDeleteAlex: I agree with Dennis, I bet that the US didn't want to make the same mistake twice. We're America and we're known for treating everyone equally so that is what America is trying to do. They're trying to treat everyone equally. Maybe the US is trying to keep their word when they say that they treat everyone equally.
ReplyDeleteYuri: Yes, people has said racial things to me. You know that it is over the line when people make jokes about it.