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"A history forgotten is doomed to repeat itself."

Lessons From Pearl Harbor

Dear AAPIP Colleagues and Friends,

I suppose this missive falls into the category of trying to do something to
counteract what feels like an uncontrollable situation. I hope this finds
you and your families, friends and loved ones safe.

In this time of crisis, I'm sure we're all reminded of the repercussions of
Pearl Harbor, when Japanese Americans and Asians in this country were made scapegoats for
the attack and subjected to everything from random acts of violence to
wholesale internment. Unfortunately, America has a sad history of punishing

individuals on the basis of guilt by racial association. While the anger,
fear, and grief is felt deeply by us all, it's imperative that we do not
lose our humanity by striking back at the wrong targets (if we must strike back
at all...).

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the media was largely responsible for
fueling the hysteria and myths that led to indiscriminate attacks on people
of Asian descent. As I read reports in this morning's paper about Middle
Eastern immigrants and Arab Americans fearing for their lives, about Islamic education centers being shot at, about Sikh drivers being hauled out of their cabs and beaten up, and Jewish children being
taunted at school as the "cause" of the current problems, I realize that
history is repeating itself and shudder to think of the consequences for
anyone who looks vaguely like the alleged enemy, whoever they may be.

Hopefully, sixty years after Pearl Harbor, we who work in this powerful
medium have learned some lessons. We have the power and responsibility to
use media in another way -- to educate and open minds. I am making a
personal appeal to anyone I know in the media (or anyone who can exploit
their media contacts) to highlight this potential problem and educate their
audiences to the differences between those who choose the U.S. as their
country and work hard to contribute to its greatness, from those who have
hatred and violence in their hearts. Let's not become them.

Please help give voice to those who fear for their and their children's
safety because of wholesale ethnic discrimination wrought by the need to
avenge an unavengable crime. Write about it, report it, show us alternative ways to deal with our pain.

Three (imperfectly quoted) quotes come to mind, (perhaps researchers can
locate the exact wording and sources):

"A history forgotten is doomed to repeat itself."

""The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men
[and women] to do nothing."
- Edmund Burke, among others, I think

"You may think that the Constitution is your security -- it is nothing but a
piece of paper. You may think that the statutes are your security -- they
are nothing but words in a book. You may think that elaborate mechanism of
government is your security -- it is nothing at all, unless you have sound
and uncorrupted public opinion to give life to your Constitution, to give
vitality to your statutes, to make efficient your government machinery."
- Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes

Thanks for giving this your attention and spreading positive vibes... and
may cool heads prevail in Washington as well as in our backyards,

Lise Yasui, Independent Producer
Chair, Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation
Trustee, Wm. Penn Foundation
Philadelphia