But rather than suggest that any one war or any one soldier’s sacrifice is so much greater as to warrant a separate holiday, our Nation’s Veteran’s Day provides the opportunity to reflect upon the impact of and rationale for wars, and to honor and thank Rhode Island soldiers, veterans and their families for their sacrifices. WWII unarguably had a unique impact on Rhode Island due to the number of soldiers sent to war and the amount of equipment and goods manufactured for the war. It is an attempt to force fit a modified definition, that is not held by recorded history or the public at large, to justify its continuance. The argument that the official name ‘Victory Day’ is not explicitly about Japan is a poor attempt to gloss over the fact that its origins are firmly rooted in V-J Day. ![]() For seventy-five years, Japanese-Americans of Rhode Island are singularly humiliated and demonized by this holiday. A war that decimated a race and their cities. It is the only holiday Rhode Island celebrates around any specific war. And, to remind them annually of the trials that they and their families suffered, their home state celebrates Victory over Japan Day. They may have relatives that died in Nagasaki or Hiroshima or suffered horrifically from radiation poisoning. Likely they or their relatives were corralled into internment camp, stripped of all their assets, and never properly compensated after the war. I try to imagine what this day must feel like to a Japanese-American Rhode Islander. So I wonder, given the current social awakening of how certain actions (and inaction) assert oppression upon targeted minorities, how will our legislators respond to the annual speculation from the nation’s and local media as to why we continue to practice this holiday? ![]() With our minds awakened to the angst that certain memorials can cause, it is past due for Rhode Island to face and accept that Victory over Japan Day negatively affects our Japanese-American citizens and that it negatively reflects on our otherwise genuine effort to be the best state we can be.Įvery day I appreciate living in Rhode Island because our state has led in legislation that ensures inclusiveness and demonstrates that the well-being of all our citizens is important.
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