Never Again
America’s immigration policy began with the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. Exclusionary legislation affecting Asia followed, until 1965 when new legislation finally opened the door for significant numbers to immigrate to the U.S. Before then, while over 35 million Europeans were arriving, Asians were limited to a quota of 150 yearly. Asia now leads the world in the number of immigrants to our country. Two of three Asians in the U.S. are immigrants or refugees. Asians are the fastest growing racial group in the nation. We are the largest immigrant and refugee community in Seattle/King County.
Despite our history and present circumstances, with the most frequent exception of Executive Order 9066, issued on February 19, 1942 to allow for the mass incarceration of 120,000 innocent immigrants and American citizens of Japanese ancestry, Asians are largely invisible in the public discourse on immigration, racial discrimination, and religious bigotry.
South Asians, particularly Muslims and Sikhs, have faced religious and race based scrutiny and groundless detentions at our nation’s airports since 9/11. Southeast Asian refugees suffer needless deportations, ripping their families apart. East, South, and Southeast Asians have some of the longest wait times, in some cases decades, to join their families here. Consequently, there are one million undocumented Asian immigrants here.
The Asian American experience with racist and broken immigration policies is notable not just for past tragedy, but current suffering as well. Islamophobic, xenophobic and race based, President Trump’s recent Executive Orders affect Asians too.
The white nationalists President Trump appointed as key political advisors who are behind the Executive Orders, appear to believe with the President that making America great again involves making America whiter and more Christian again. It is no accident that immigration is a focus of this Administration, and fellow travelers in Congress have introduced legislation that would cut immigration practically in half, at a time when immigration is literally changing the complexion of America.
The Trump Administration cites national security as the reason for its racist and Islamophobic attacks on immigrants and refugees. Yet, there have been no fatal terrorist acts on U.S. soil post 9/11 from the countries the Administration targeted. National security was also cited as the reason for Executive Order 9066. Then, as now, the banner of national security was used as a cover for racist and xenophobic attacks on innocent persons.
Despite sobering parallels between 1942 when all persons of Japanese ancestry were vilified as the enemy and registries were used to identify them and facilitate their unconstitutional incarceration, and 2017 with the Trump administration’s vilification of all Muslims as the enemy and talk of a Muslim registry in the name of national security, I remain hopeful that this time will be different.
When Executive Order 9066 was issued in 1942, few stood up for Japanese Americans and their immigrant parents. In 2017, thousands are standing up for Muslims and all immigrants and refugees. Millions recognize that disregard for constitutional rights and discrimination of every kind are the real threats to our country. Americans are defending our constitution and democracy in airports, streets, courts, and wherever there are elected officials.
Asian Americans are among them, offering support to the human targets of racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, and resisting the Administration’s efforts to repeat tragedies of the past and present. Japanese American WWII veterans, former Japanese American prisoners of American concentration camps, their descendants, and other Asian Americans are speaking out against racism and attacks on Muslims, immigrants and refugees.
As has been said, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Does making America great again mean going back to a time of greater inequity for all and promoting xenophobia, racism and religious bigotry in our government and on our streets? On this 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, we say, “never again!”
Diane Narasaki
Executive Director
Asian Counseling and Referral Service
