Letter: Yes, internment of Japanese Americans was racism

Mr. Bullert, please don’t mix apples and oranges — “Was the relocation of West Coast Japanese racist?” (TCH, Jan. 29). The fact that the emperor of Japan and his underlings committed atrocities during World War II should not have justified tearing American citizens from their homes and livelihoods just because they shared his racial background. Sorry, but this is racism.

My father, a German immigrant, was interned during World War II, simply because he shared German ethnicity with the thugs in Germany. He was a loyal American, but was denied due process. At least the Germans weren’t relocated en masse like the West Coast Japanese.

Because of my family’s experience, I have studied the subject of internment and relocation extensively, and have lectured and written about it. Invariably, during a lecture, someone would bring up the Holocaust in a way that seemed to indicate what happened to my family was justified — apples and oranges.

Have you had your DNA checked? Based on the piece you wrote, there might be something in your racial or ethnic makeup that would indicate you should be ripped from your home and relocated. Ever think about that?

This story was originally published February 8, 2017 at 4:16 AM with the headline "Letter: Yes, internment of Japanese Americans was racism."