The Japanese American National Museum Condemns the Murders of Keenan Anderson and Tyre Nichols

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) condemns the heinous murders of Keenan Anderson and Tyre Nichols by the police—part of the systemic racism and discrimination that plagues people of color throughout America.

“To deny that systemic racism and discrimination factors into violence at the hands of law enforcement is to deny that racial prejudice shapes their responses. Robbing these young men of their lives stokes the explosive flames of rage and continues to discriminate against Black people in America. The World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans and the long history of anti-Asian exclusion in this nation are powerful reminders of what happens when racism trounces education and understanding. We must stand alongside our neighboring communities when they experience injustice because we know just how fragile the guard rails are. We must continue to speak up and do all we can to work towards a more just society where tolerance and the protection of civil liberties are truly hallmarks of our democracy, ” said Ann Burroughs, President and CEO.

JANM’s mission is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience and speaking out when diversity, individual dignity, and social justice are undermined—vigilantly sharing the hard-fought lessons from Japanese American history to create a more just America and ultimately a better world.

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