The tragedy of Japanese immigrants to America
For Japanese immigrants to America, the forced internment of Japanese immigrants during the war is an unforgettable pain. Their property was confiscated and they were sent to internment camps in the desert. It is also painful to think that many Japanese soldiers fought in Europe to show their loyalty to America.
I wondered why only Japanese immigrants were treated so badly. German immigrants were not subjected to such coercive measures, so why only Japanese immigrants? Was it because they were of the yellow race? Was it because they were not white like German immigrants? Or was it because they were not Christians like German immigrants?
I thought about it in various ways, but what about the Chinese who had already immigrated to America before the Japanese immigrants? They were also of the yellow race, and their religion was Taoism, wasn't it? I think the presence of these Chinese people is the key point.
From the Chinese perspective, Japanese immigrants were newcomers who came later. Moreover, they took Confucian morality seriously, believed that hard work was a virtue, and worked too hard, so they often took jobs not only from Chinese people but also from Americans. The worst thing was that they used Chinese characters just like the indigenous Chinese.
Using Chinese characters just like the Chinese people meant that the Chinese saw the Japanese immigrants as their lackeys. Also, those same Chinese characters gave birth to Confucianism, but in mainland China, Confucianism has long since been rejected. Confucianism is a tool for the ruling class, and the locals believe mainly in Taoism.
Confucianism is just a pretense, and Taoist thought is rooted in the basic lifestyle habits of the Chinese. For example, giving gifts to officials. This is what is known as bribery, but Japanese people steeped in Confucian morality do not approve of such things, but the Chinese do it naturally as a means of survival.
In Taoism, it is good to be flexible like water, so while you have no power, you should go with the flow, and it is not something to be ashamed of. That is why Chinese people can live anywhere in the world, rooted in the land and maintain their Taoist ideas.
So what should Japanese people have done? Should they imitate the Chinese and bribe the officials? But a poor imitation might anger the Chinese. Taoism has not yet taken root among Japanese people. So, I think it would be better to ask the Chinese to join them.
I think it would be good to light incense together in front of the statue of Guan Yu, who is respected by the Chinese, and ask them to join you as a younger brother. Of course, it would be even better if you offered some kind of money or gift. How about mooncakes or Shaoxing wine? It feels like the Peach Garden Agreement from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I think this is an effective method even in modern times.
Yes. I think it would be good to invite Korean immigrants, who came later than the Japanese, to light incense together in front of the Guandi Temple. It seems that Korean immigrants suffered in the riots and looting that followed the big earthquake in California a long time ago. As Japanese people, shouldn't we reach out to Koreans?
It seems that Japanese people have already mixed with Americans and are completely assimilated into America, but I think it would be even better if they could also make use of their connection with Japan. Just like Chinese people have connections with mainland China, where they come from, as overseas Chinese. I think it would be an advantage for Japanese people to have connections with Japan.
So, I have another suggestion. Throw away kanji and write and read Japanese in the alphabet! This will make it easier to learn Japanese! If you can speak English, write and read Japanese, and speak it to a certain extent, you will definitely be valued by both Japan and the United States!
I think you will also be able to keep a good distance from Chinese people. Rather than being content with being a subordinate, how about aiming to be a reliable military strategist like Zhuge Liang? Together with Chinese, Japanese, and Korean immigrants, we can send representatives to state and federal legislatures in the United States as representatives of East Asians! By doing this, we may be able to receive compensation for the past persecution of Japanese people.
As Japanese people, I think we can win a formal apology for the U.S. government's forced internment of Japanese immigrants during the war, the return of confiscated property, and compensation for the forced internment. Once the past is settled, I want you to use your influence to improve the present and the future.
Specifically, please lend your support to the demonstrations I am advocating in the United States. I will come up with the demands for the demonstrations! In other words, "Wealthy people and banks, devalue the dollar! The dollar is too high, so illegal immigrants are coming in from Mexico! The only people who benefit from a high dollar are wealthy people and banks! The high dollar is causing domestic industry in the United States to decline, and many people are suffering from unemployment!"
I am confident in my wisdom! But I lack the ability to act! So I would like Japanese Americans to lend me my wisdom and, in return, get my requests for the demonstration through the wealthy and banks in the United States! Thank you very much.
m(_ _)m
