JANM Calls for Restoration of Contributions of People of Color on US Department of Defense Websites

Editors please note: JANM’s Pavilion is closed for renovation; programs will continue on the JANM campus and at other locations at janm.org/OnTheGo. 

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) is gravely concerned and disheartened by the ongoing efforts to erase the contributions of people of color to US military history from the US Department of Defense websites. 

This includes erasing the contributions of the Navajo code talkers from the Marine Corps and US Army websites, erasing Jackie Robinson’s Army history from the Department of Defense website, and removing webpages about the 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. The all-Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team are the most decorated military units in US history for their size and length of service. While they fought prejudice abroad in defense of freedom, many of their own families were incarcerated simply because they looked like the enemy. 

While some removed pages have been subsequently restored, if altered, in response to public outcry, the persistent, haphazard efforts to purge historical information as part of so-called “anti-DEI” measures is regrettable. Numerous links to pages about contributions made by Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have been removed from all Department of Defense websites—the US Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Combatant Commands. Searching the websites results in links that lead to a 404 error for “page not found.”

“JANM stands as a place of memory, truth, and justice, where history is not only preserved but actively used to confront contemporary threats to democracy and human dignity. This administrative action is an attempt to strip these veterans of their humanity, erase their service and sacrifices to their country, and undo decades of progress towards a more just future. JANM honors the courage, contributions, and bravery of the 100th, 442nd, MIS, and other diverse communities who served in the US military and calls for the restoration of these webpages to the Department of Defense’s websites. They are an essential part of America’s diverse, complex, and comprehensive military history,” said Ann Burroughs, JANM President and CEO.

###