The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) issued the following statement on July 27.
The Japanese American National Museum denounces the recent comments by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that served to further inflame anti-Asian hate and racism when she called for the deportation of all Chinese not deemed loyal to the United States.
“Since the mid-19th century, shortly after Asians first started arriving in the United States, Asians have endured racist violence, threats of deportation, and denial of their civil rights,” said Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, chairman of the JANM Board of Trustees. “For more than a century, Asian Americans have had their loyalties to this country questioned. With the recent resurgence of anti-Asian hate, we have an obligation to stand up and make our voices heard in the face of the xenophobia and racism that continue to fuel this dangerous trend.
“During the hysteria of World War II, the U.S. government forcibly removed all individuals of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast – most of them U.S. citizens – and locked them up in remote concentration camps. Their civil rights were violated, their families were traumatized, and their livelihoods were lost. JANM will not stand for any call for mass deportation. The grave mistakes of the past can not be repeated.”