Japanese American leaders strongly criticized former President Donald Trump for comparing the treatment of Jan. 6 rioters to that of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II. Trump defended the actions of the insurrectionists in a podcast interview, claiming they were treated unfairly by the justice system, similar to the Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their homes and placed in incarceration camps. Japanese American leaders, including Ann Burroughs, president and CEO of the Japanese American National Museum, condemned Trump’s comments, calling them historically inaccurate and flawed.
Trump’s comments come in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, where thousands of his supporters stormed the building in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. More than 140 police officers were injured, and several individuals died in connection to the riot. Over 1,500 people have been charged, with over 1,100 convictions and more than 600 prison sentences handed down.
Sharon Yamato, the daughter of Japanese American survivors, rejected any comparison between the insurrectionists and Japanese Americans, emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed during the Capitol riot. Yamato also highlighted the decades-long struggle for redress and apology for Japanese American survivors, culminating in the Civil Liberties Act of 1988.
Trump’s comments have sparked outrage within the Japanese American community, with many denouncing his revisionist view of the Jan. 6 riots as a “day of love.” Trump’s attempt to equate the insurrectionists with Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated has been met with strong opposition and condemnation from the community.
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