If I were Japanese-American and incarcerated in an internment camp for a year during WWII and afterwards was allowed the option of fighting for that country, Id find it pretty difficult to do. Obviously the resentment toward the US would be overbearing. Basically it was a lose-lose situation either way. How could you serve a country that had imprisoned you and your family and treated you so badly? But if you didn’t, what would change? Half of me would want to laugh in their face and the other half would want to swollow my pride and do it for my family.
I figure that by February of 1943, many Japanese felt they had no choice but to serve in the 442nd/ 100th, if they ever wanted have a future in the United State. To try and prove themselves by showing their loyalty to their country seemed like the only way they could earn respect. I think it was extremely heroic of the Japanese that did serve but I don’t blame the ones who didn’t. In hindsight I would have volunteered for the sake of my family and for the next generations of Japanese.
No comments:
Post a Comment