Opinion | San Diego’s official apology for WWII incarceration is overdue, but worthwhile

The city of San Diego officially apologized for supporting the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, bringing up the question of why now. WikiCommons.

By Haley Bordner, a sophomore TV writing and production major

To preface this opinion piece, I am half Japanese and half white. If I had been approached a year ago to write it, I do not think I would have been able to. 

I used to think that since I was raised in the U.S. and am white-passing, I could not talk about issues that affect the Japanese community because I was not “qualified” enough to do so. 

It took me many years to realize that I am just as much Japanese as I am white. There is not just one side I can pick over the other because I am exactly half of each. That means that the struggles of each community have an impact on me and hate against the Japanese community affects me, too. 

On Sept. 20, the San Diego City Council officially apologized for supporting the law that forced the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Upon hearing about this, my first question was, why now? There were many moments in the past where anti-Asian hate was prominent, where a formal apology and rescinding of the law they made 80 years ago would have been a source of relief — no matter how small — to the Japanese-American community. 

If not that, they could have announced it earlier, following the example of others. The Supreme Court officially rescinded its support for the incarceration in 2018 and repealed the Korematsu ruling that made it possible, but San Diego must have chosen not to apologize at that time. 

What made them decide that they wouldn’t follow their lead even though it was a valuable action? 

The Japanese American Historical Society has also been pushing San Diego to formally apologize for the incarceration, but they have not had luck until this year. I wonder why they had to wait this long to apologize and listen to the urging of the organization to apologize for an event of the past that almost everyone can acknowledge was damaging to Japanese Americans. 

There have been many instances where people and organizations have pushed for action against injustice and are just met with a “maybe later.” Although deciding to eventually listen to calls for action is beneficial and can bring change, action still needs to be taken sooner before it escalates and hurts more people than it already has.

Growing up, I used to hear about my friends’ and family’s experiences with racism. It hurt me to know the hate that existed against the people and the community I love and grew up with. 

Back when I used to live in Arizona, a family member told me about a little boy who refused to talk to her because he still blamed anyone who was Japanese for Pearl Harbor, even though it was decades ago. That story has stuck with me my whole life because it was an invalid stance and said something haunting about the beliefs the child was raised with. 

Oftentimes, hate at a young age is learned from something a family member or someone they looked up to may have said. I found myself wondering who would still have distrust for everyone who is Japanese and maintained the beliefs that were used to justify the incarceration of thousands of Japanese-Americans 80 years ago. 

Even though apologizing earlier might not have prevented this specific encounter, it still allows people to understand that what the country did in the past to “solve” certain race-related issues were wrong and racist, and hopefully helps future generations avoid placing blame in the wrong places and repeating the same mistakes. 

I believe the apology will do something positive for the Japanese-American community. It is a step towards the right direction and acknowledges that there is no justification for hate against the Japanese American community or any community solely based on race.