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DonaldTrump'sproposaltotemporarilybanMuslimsfromenteringtheUSinthewakeofthe
terroristattackinSanBernardino,California,lastweekhasbeenroundlycriticizedbymany
politicalfiguresacrosstheideologicalspectrum.
Somecriticsimmediatelydenouncedhisplanas"fascist."ButTrump'sproposalactuallymirrors
similarUSracebasedimmigrationlawsfromtheearly20thcentury.
ThefirstmajorimmigrationrestrictionpassedintheUSin1882,haltingChineseimmigration
andbarringnaturalizationforChineseimmigrants.AtthetimexenophobicfearsgrewthatAsian
immigrantswere,asAsianAmericanhistorianErikaLeedescribesit,"unassimilable."
"Intheearly20thcentury,[Asianimmigrants]wereconsideredunassimilablealiens,"saidLee,
aprofessorofhistoryattheUniversityofMinnesota.
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Shecontinued:"Meaningthat
theyweresodifferentfrom
Americansthattheycouldnever
assimilateandthattheywerea
dangertotheUS,thattheywere
economiccompetition,thatthey
wereanotherracialproblem,they
wereapotentialinvasioncoming
todousharmintermsof
loweringthewagesofworking
classfamilies,luringwhite
womenintodepravity."
AnimosityandsuspicionofAsian
immigrantscontinuedtobrew
until1924,whenCongresspassed
AP
theImmigrationAct.Ineffect,
thelawbarredallAsians
includingtheadditionof
JapaneseandSouthernandEasternEuropeans,whoLeesaidwereconsidered"alesserkindof
white"fromcomingtotheUSandbecomingcitizens.
TheactincludedaprovisionexcludinganyoneineligibleforcitizenshipfromenteringtheUS.
AccordingtotheLibraryofCongress,peopleofAsianlineagewerenotpermittedtobecome
naturalizedunderexistinglaw,sotheImmigrationActmeantthatAsianswouldnolongerbe
admittedtotheUS.
Indeed,Trump'sproposalforexcludingMuslimimmigrantshaseerieparallelstotheUSpolicy
towardJapaneseandJapaneseAmericansduringWorldWarIIandtheleaduptothewar.
USRep.AlBaldasaro(RNewHampshire),acochairoftheTrumpcampaign'sNewHampshire
veteranscoalition,defendedTrump'sproposalduringaninterviewwithWMUR.Hecitedthe
federalgovernment'sdecisiontoforcefullyquarantinemorethan100,000Japaneseimmigrants
andJapaneseAmericanslivingintheUSto"internment"campsformorethanthreeyears
duringWorldWarII.
"Whathe'ssayingisnodifferentthanthesituationduringWorldWarII,whenweputthe
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Japaneseincamps,"Baldasarotoldthestation."Thepeoplewhoattackedinnocentpeoplein
Pariscamethroughopenborders.Fromamilitarymindstandpoint,allDonaldTrumpissaying
istodowhatneedstobedoneuntilwegetahandleonhowtodobackgroundchecks."

AP

FormerUSPresidentFranklinRoosevelt'sinternmentorderislargelyregardedasoneofthe
greatestcivillibertiesviolationseverperpetratedbythefederalgovernmentonitscitizens.
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Onceinternmentorderswereissuedbeginningin1942,JapaneseAmericansandJapanese
immigrantsweregivenoneweektoreporttodesignatedareas,wheretheyweresubsequently
broughtbybustohastilyassembledcamps.
Conditionsatthecampswerebrutal.JapaneseAmericanssleptinovercrowded,converted
barracksandhorsestallswithnorunningwater.Familiesweredividedbysmall,makeshift
partitions.Manyofthelargestcampsweresituatedonvaststretchesofdesert,wheredetainees
weresubjecttointenseduststormsandharshtemperatures.
Whilechildrenattendedschoolandsomeadultshadjobs,otherformerlyemployedadults
languishedbehindbarbedwire,withfewmeaningfultaskstoaccomplish.
TheeffectsofintermentlingeredforyearsaftertheJapanesewerereleasedfromthecamps.
Internmentresultedinthewidespreadlossofassets,whichincludedhomes,businesses,cars,
andboats.Somefoundthatwhiteresidentshadtakenoverthejobsandsmallindustrieswhere
Japaneseworkersformerlyprospered,andwereforcedtofindnew,lessglamorousformsof
work.
FormerresidentsinsomecasesreturnedtofindentirecommunitieslikeTerminalIsland,
oncemadeupofaround3,000Japanesecompletelydemolished.Lee,theUniversityof
Minnesotaprofessor,saidJapaneseAmericansweretoldto"disperse"themselvessoasnotto
beseenasaracialthreat.ShesaidthattheywerealsotoldnottoreturnhometotheWestCoast,
werethevastmajorityhadsettledbeforethewar.
ItalsohelpedperpetuatewidespreaddiscriminationofJapaneseAmericansthatlastedforyears
aftertheendofthewar.
"Weknowinstanceafterinstanceofviolence,ofbeatingup,ofdiscrimination,housing
discrimination,"Leesaid."Ittookgenerationsandonecouldarguethatthosescarsarestill
beinghealed."

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AfteryearsoflobbyingbyJapaneseAmericanlawmakers,formerUSPresidentGeorgeH.W.
Bushpennedaformalapologyinconjunctionwiththefederalgovernment'sreparations
paymentstoJapaneseAmericansin1991,sayingthattheUSshould"recognizethatserious
injusticesweredone."
"Amonetarysumandwordsalonecannotrestorelostyearsorerasepainfulmemoriesneither
cantheyfullyconveyournation'sresolvetorectifyinjusticeandtoupholdtherightsof
individuals,"Bushsaid."Wecanneverfullyrightthewrongsofthepast,butwecantakeaclear
standforjusticeandrecognizethatseriousinjusticesweredonetoJapaneseAmericansduring
WWII."
ButBaldasaroisn'tthefirstpoliticianinthiselectioncycletoattempttospinJapanese
internmentasapositive.TheDemocraticmayorofoneofVirginia'slargestcitieswasforcedto
apologizelastmonthaftersayingthathe'drefusetoprovideresettlementassistancetoSyrian
refugees,citingJapaneseinternmentduringWorldWarIIaspartialinspiration.
OnTuesday,TrumpdeniedthathissuggestionswereakintoputtingJapaneseAmericansand
immigrantsbehindbarbedwireduringWorldWarII.Heinsteadfloatedseveral"temporary
measures"akintorestrictionsplacesonItalians,Japanese,andGermanslivingintheUSduring
WorldWarIIasanalternative.
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"Theystrippedthemoftheirnaturalizationproceedings.Theywentthroughawholelistof
things,"TrumptoldABC."Theycouldn'tgo5milesfromtheirhomes.Theyweren'tallowedto
useradios,flashlights.Imean,takealookatwhatFDRdidmanyyearsago,andhe'srespected
bymostpeople."
WhenaskedbyTimemagazinewhetherhewouldhavesupportedinternmentcamps,Trump
saidthathe"wouldhavehadtobethereatthetime"toanswerthehypothetical.
"Iwouldhavehadtobethereatthetimetotellyou,togiveyouaproperanswer"Trumpsaid,
accordingtothepublication."Icertainlyhatetheconceptofit.ButIwouldhavehadtobethere
atthetimetogiveyouaproperanswer."
ExpertssaythatTrump'scommentsarehistoricallyinaccurate.
"Tocomparethistointernmentisnotonlywrong,butitcompletelymisrepresentshistoryand
thefactsofthetime,"Leesaid."WhatissimilaristheracialhysteriathatexistedafterPearl
Harborandexiststoday."

NOWWATCH:EveryoneisslammingDonaldTrump'splantostop
MuslimsfromenteringtheUS

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