NOSEI STATEMENT

Sept. 20, 2001

This is a sad time for all of us. We mourn the tragic loss of innocent lives, and our hearts go out to the families and communities devastated by recent events. We hope that through our collective grieving and suffering, we can begin the long process of healing and reflection.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, on February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 which caused the eviction and internment of 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry who lived in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. This order eliminated the constitutional protections of due process and violated the Bill of Rights. The internment culminated decades of anti-Asian discrimination, racist propaganda campaigns, and physical violence. During this time, few voices came forward to speak out against this egregious violation of our civil liberties.

We, as progressive Japanese Americans (NOSEI) feel a special responsibility to issue a statement in response to the rise of violence against Arab, Muslim and SouthAsian communities living in the United States. We urge the community to come together to stand in unity with all Arab, Muslim and South Asians to ensure that history does not repeat itself. We condemn any attempts to racially profile, scapegoat, and attack groups indiscriminately.

In an era of globalization, we believe safety and security here is inextricably linked to safety, and security abroad. Our hope is that we, the people of this country can become more conscious and conscientious about what is happening in the world and how our fate as human beings is dependent upon our ability to see how connected we are to each other across national borders. We oppose violence as a tool to mete out justice because we cannot bear to grieve for any more innocent victims.

We make a commitment to share our experiences with others to inform, educate and raise awareness about how fragile our civil rights and freedoms become during times of crisis. Honoring the legacy of our internment and the redress movement, we strive to stand with those being victimized by targeted acts of hate and violence. The Nosei Network is comprised of socially conscious, progressive Japanese American and Japanese national youth and adults dedicated to the creation of safe spaces, bringing about political change and creating meaningful roles by actively engaging in a community building process. Nosei was started in 1999.

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