Good morning,
There were several responses to my Memorial Day Musings about the Japanese internment camps at Manzanar and throughout the west.
THOUGHTS ABOUT THE JAPANESE AND BLACK SOLDIERS IN WORLD WAR II
From Alan Rosenbach:
“I also wondered what Japanese soldiers in the US army thought of the internment camps. What motivated them? Did they believe in American ideals…?
How about the black soldiers at the time? Segregated from white soldiers while injustice was being brought upon their communities stateside. How about the black soldiers from Los Angeles? Did you know that the segregation until the late 1950's (when you were born) was so severe in LA that even famous jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday and many others were barred from staying at most Los Angeles hotels? They had to book rooms at a black hotel, the Dunbar, on Central Avenue and 42nd street.”
EXEMPLARY SERVICE BY MINORITIES
Why were Japanese, Black, and American Indian soldiers among the most decorated soldiers to serve in both World Wars? Some came here voluntarily; some were displaced by the Westward Expansion; others were forcibly abducted from their homes and brought here in chains. Yet they all served with distinction.
I think the answer to the question of the exemplary service of these minority groups is as simple as trying to reconcile the greatness in American history with the darker aspects of that history. The lives of these people were pretty good for the time, while not equal to the opportunities and social status of the majority of their fellow citizens. More importantly, these people bought into the founding myths of the American founding—that ultimately all people would be treated and adjudged equally, that opportunity would flow without regard for ethnicity, and that the bounty enjoyed by some could be enjoyed by all. They also saw that the vector of American history was a more-or-less consistent march toward the ideals expressed in our founding documents. This was worth fighting for, as the alternatives—a weakened America in a world dominated by fascism and Communism—would be worse.
I really don’t understand why there are those who refuse to welcome a critical assessment of our shortcomings as part of an analysis of our history. And I don’t understand why there are those who seem unwilling to accept the fundamentally earth-changing ideals of the founding and America’s continued advancement toward a liberal, inclusive society that represents America’s last, best hope.
GREAT JAPANESE AMERICAN JURIST
From Mark DiMaria:
“Thank you for that important reminder [about America’s treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II]. It speaks volumes in the face of efforts today toward censorship of unpleasant chapters in our history, and the creeping scourge of fascism that has taken over the Republican party.
Your comments about the internment camps brought back memories of my externship with U.S. District Judge Robert M. Takasugi, who was the first Japanese American federal judge and certainly among my greatest heroes in this life. Judge Takasugi went directly from being interned in the camps to working in counter-espionage for the U.S. military, and was perhaps the toughest man I ever met…”
KAREEM AND JAZZ IN LOS ANGELES’S CENTRAL AVENUE
Alan also recalled the history of jazz in Los Angeles, Central Avenue in particular, citing this article written by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, in the Los Angeles Times: Central Avenue Jazz
As represented in this article, Central Avenue was alive with excitement, music, and stars:
“It was once the most glorious place on ‘the Avenue.’ At the Dunbar Hotel ... you could dance to the sounds of Cab Calloway, laugh till your stomach hurt with Redd Foxx and maybe, just maybe, get a room near Billie Holiday or Duke Ellington.” –Los Angeles Herald-Examiner
Happy day,
Glenn
See the 1955 movie Bad Day at Black Rock. About this topic. Great stars in this.