HONOLULU — Funding for a program to preserve the sites where Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II has moved forward after becoming the backdrop of a spat between a Hawaii congresswoman and the Interior Department boss.
HONOLULU — Funding for a program to preserve the sites where Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II has moved forward after becoming the backdrop of a spat between a Hawaii congresswoman and the Interior Department boss.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke discussed the funding last week at a House committee hearing in Washington.
When the Japanese-American congresswoman asked Zinke whether he would continue the program, Zinke replied with the Japanese greeting for hello, or “konnichiwa.”
Hanabusa’s colleagues later criticized Zinke for being juvenile and treating her as a foreigner. Hanabusa said Zinke was racially stereotyping her.
Zinke defended his use of the term, saying, “How could ever saying ‘good morning’ be bad?”
The House approved $3 million for the project. It now goes to the Senate.
Internment camps for Japanese during wwll should not be preserved . It has long been
known how much pain it caused so many. Why keep holding on to pain. Keep it in the
history books where it belongs. Lets move on with the lesson learned and not revere
past misery.
As a son whose entire family was placed in America’s concentration camps I strongly disagree. Just for looking like the enemy, an entire communities civil liberties were taken away and most of their homes and property confiscated. No sane person asks the Jewish people to forget the Holocaust. Why should America forget how hysteria almost destroyed one of America’s greatest gifts… Freedom