STATEMENT: The Japanese American National Museum Denounces Anti-Asian Deportation Statement by Congresswoman

LOS ANGELES - The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) denounces  the recent comments by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that served to further inflame anti-Asian hate and racism when she called for the deportation of all Chinese not deemed loyal to the United States.

“Since the mid-19th century, shortly after Asians first started arriving in the United States,  Asians have endured racist violence, threats of deportation, and denial of their civil rights,” said Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, Chairman of the JANM Board of Trustees. “For more than a century, Asian Americans have had their loyalties to this country questioned. With the recent resurgence of anti-Asian hate, we have an obligation to stand up and make our voices heard in the face of the xenophobia and racism that continue to fuel this dangerous trend.

“During the hysteria of World War II, the U.S. government forcibly removed all individuals of Japanese ancestry from  the West Coast – most of them U.S. citizens – and locked them up in remote concentration camps. Their civil rights were violated, their families were traumatized, and their livelihoods were lost. JANM will not stand for any call for mass deportation. The grave mistakes of the past can not be repeated.”

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Established in 1985, JANM promotes understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. Located in the historic Little Tokyo district of downtown Los Angeles, JANM is a hybrid institution that straddles traditional museum categories and strives to provide a voice for Japanese Americans as well as a forum that enables all people to explore their own heritage and culture. Since opening to the public in 1992, JANM has presented over 70 exhibitions onsite while traveling 17 exhibits to venues such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Ellis Island Museum in the United States, and to several leading cultural museums in Japan and South America. For more information, visit janm.org or follow us on social media @jamuseum.

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