ted tanouye

i went to see this documentary over the weekend - called "citizen tanouye." they basically filmed a group of students from torrance high school conducting a research project about ted tenouye, who was an alumni about to be honored with a monument at the school.

what i learned was so damned thought provoking that i still don't think that i have quite grasped how i really feel about it. like most people, i remember studying about world war II and that there were japanese-american families sent to live in internment camps after the bombing of pearl harbor. but honestly, that was the extent of what i remember.

my friend, being fourth generation japanese-american, has relatives that actually remember being sent to the internment camps, and it is a very important thing for him to raise awareness of what really happened. we've talked about it off and on, and when he mentioned going to see the film - i really wanted to see it too.

basically, ted tanouye was one of many japanese-american volunteers that fought in world war II, and was part of the 442nd regiment, which was the most decorated units for its size and length of service, in the entire history of the U.S. military. its members were all japanese-americans, many of whom volunteered even though their families were being persecuted and sent to live in internment camps. sadly, these soldiers that fought in WWII were not recognized until june of 2000, when bill clinton awarded 22 medals of honor to asian americans who fought in the war.

here's a little blurb on the US medal of honor:

"The Medal of Honor, established by Joint Resolution of Congress July 12, 1862 (amended by Act of July 9, 1918 and Act of July 25, 1963) is awarded in the name of Congress to a person who, while a member of the Armed Forces, distinguishes himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against any enemy of the United States, while engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force, or while serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party. The deed performed must have been one of personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his comrades and must have involved risk of life. Incontestable proof of the performance of service is exacted and each recommendation for award of this decoration is considered on the standard of extraordinary merit. Eligibility is limited to members of the Armed Forces of the United States in active Federal military service."

and if you're interested, here is some more information about the 44rd regimental combat team:
http://www.goforbroke.org/history/history_historical_veterans_442nd.asp

aside from just the biographical information that the film presented about ted tanouye, the students also researched the sentiment and state of the US as the war began. i cannot begin to describe how horrible the whole ordeal was, and i am only just beginning to read about it. i can't even begin to imagine what it was like to live it.

basically, in 1942, FDR issued executive order 9066 to allow for the internment of japanese americans. the actual instructions were clearly spelled out in civilian exclusion order no. 5 - that removed all japanese americans from their homes along the west coast and relocated them to what they called "assembly centers" as the actual camps were built. in the southern california region, japanese americans were sent to live in the santa anita horse stables and given hay to use to make their own mattresses until the final relocation. (this site shows you both EO 9066 and CEO 5: http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/haiku/9066.htm).

people were yanked out of their homes, lost their businesses, and forced to live in these camps that were surrounded by barbed wire and guarded by soldiers like they were in prison. many families were separated, because many of the men were taken in for questioning and often detained without cause. the worst part of all this, is that many of these japanese americans genuinely lived the "american life" and were american citizens. that's why it was even more unbelievable that their sons volunteered to fight in the war for a country that was persecuting their parents. they wanted to so much to fight for the freedom that they cherished, while at the same time - trying to prove their loyalty to a country that considered their culture and their ethnicity to be a threat.

these families, who truly considered themselves japanese americans, and not just japanese - were treated like prisoners of war, for absolutely no reason but their heritage. sadly, this type of perpective still exists today.

there were so many issues that really provoked me to think. as much as we'd like to believe that the world we live in today is different, how much have things really changed? what was the deal with racial profiling? because of september 11, think about how people view most people of middle eastern descent. what about the issues now with north korea? how could that affect korean-americans? though we say that we often take our freedoms for granted, i think it's also important to realize that those freedoms are never guaranteed, and as long as their are political leaders that have other interests in mind, we can never truly have faith in our government. they can still be just as narrow-minded as we fear.

In a state-run society the government promises you security. But it's a false promise predicated on the idea that the opposite of security is risk. Nothing could be further from the truth. The opposite of security is insecurity, and the only way to overcome insecurity is to take risks. The gentle government that promises to hold your hand as you cross the street refuses to let go on the other side. ~Theodore Forstmann