X-Message-Number: 16919
Date: Sat, 07 Jul 2001 22:19:08 -0700
From: Mike Perry <>
Subject: Japanese relocation and our future

Several of us have posted on the subject of the relocation and/or 
internment of ethnic Japanese in the U.S. and Canada in WWII. Here on 
Cryonet we are sensitized to the problem of off-topic postings and the 
subject in question doesn't involve cryonics. We justified our attention to 
it on grounds of our consideration of the whole immortalist perspective, 
which requires us to ask how people of the future might think of us, which 
leads to considering the track record of the human race in the century just 
past. (That's how it started, wasn't it?) As for the action itself, there 
seems to be general agreement that it was not good, but disagreement as to 
whether it was still reasonable in view of what was *thought* to be 
necessary at the time. I for one have leaned toward the view that it was 
entirely unreasonable even by the standards of the time. To pass judgment 
on an issue like this, on the other hand, is not easy unless you have a lot 
of knowledge of the subject (if then). My knowledge comes mainly from a 
study I did in the 1960s as part of some classroom work, and also some 
contact in Hawaii with relatives of some of the detainees. More study is 
needed to be definitive, perhaps a great deal more. Possibly none of us has 
the time to conduct the necessary research, in view of priorities (I don't 
for one) but something can be learned by a web search.

When I looked I found an interesting commentary by Bill Hopwood, 
USN-retired, who says, "We agree that it was a sad chapter in our history 
and the US Government atoned for their actions by various legislation 
passed by the US Congress in 1948, 1952 and in 1988." His further comments 
will be found at http://www.pnorthwestbooks.com/docs/jai_summary.html. 
Hopwood in some measure defends the action, if uncomfortably, and notes 
that it involved relocation of some and (additionally) internment of 
others--the two terms are not synonymous. It also included ethnic Germans 
and Italians, though not as many.

As for the Japanese, in some cases there were people actively demonstrating 
support for Emperor Hirohito, who were put into special camps. Many of the 
detainees too (not necessarily demonstrators) were Japanese nationals, not 
Japanese-Americans, thus classified as "enemy aliens." In all it's a 
complex issue. (And I haven't addressed the Canadian situation here, 
something I know little about.) It's one of those things that can be argued 
about endlessly, and probably will be. But to me the parallel case of 
Hawaii, where there was no comparable relocation though a larger proportion 
of Japanese, requires an explanation I haven't seen, if we are to accept 
the California policy as an entirely reasonable one in view of 
circumstances. Overall I still think the Californians overreacted, and 
there was what amounted to unconscionable mistreatment of innocent 
civilians. I won't deny there is another side to this too, however. War is 
not pretty. And the allies at least did better with their detainees than 
their opponents did with theirs, often far better.

In the future I hope, like the rest of us, that wars and other barbarities 
will become unthinkable and no longer happen. But I think this will 
require, not merely technological advances but remaking ourselves. We must 
become more than human to eliminate the vices humans are prone to. We must 
develop into truly superior beings and cannot remain at the level of Homo 
sapiens which is, after all, one more of nature's many gimmicks for 
perpetuating genes. We can do it, I am convinced, without sacrificing our 
identity as individuals. The species thus will die while we ourselves live 
on and go to better things, like a child passing to an enlightened 
adulthood and beyond. This I realize is a controversial viewpoint not 
shared by all--but I don't see another way out. On the other hand it's 
possible to be hopeful and eager about the coming transition to 
more-than-human, and I for one am very optimistic.

Mike Perry

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