Japanese Americans

Masli Arman is entitled to the opinions he wrote in his letter about the Indonesian Chinese superiority complex (The Jakarta Post, May 3, 1996). I, however, take issue with his statement: "During World War II, many Japanese Americans were imprisoned for collaboration with the Japanese government..."

This is definitely not a true statement. Yes, Japanese residents in the western states and their Japanese American children were put in relocation camps by President Roosevelt. This was, however, not because they collaborated with the Japanese government, but because the president was worried they would or could become Japanese spies. After exhaustive investigation by the FBI during and after the war, not one collaboration case has been proven against the Japanese residents nor against the Japanese Americans.

Japanese Americans, even though they were put in camps, proved their loyalty to the United States by volunteering to join the American armed forces and fought alongside their fellow citizens. The members of the 442nd battalion distinguished themselves as the most decorated unit in the American armed forces in World War II. After the war the American government officially apologized to the Japanese Americans for the wrong America did to them.

My wife is a Japanese American. She was interned in camps in Arkansas and Tule Lake. If you ask her what her nationality is, she will unhesitatingly reply: "I am an American." All I can add is that she is proud to be an American. She does have sympathies toward the land of her forefathers. She also has deep sympathies for Indonesia because she has lived here for more than a decade. Her loyalty though, is first of all, to the U.S. of A.

DJOKO SOEJOTO

Bandung, West Java