The Japanese American National Museum Condemns Vandalism at Houses of Worship in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Japanese American National Museum (JANM) condemns the recent burning of a rainbow flag at the Pasadena Buddhist Temple in Pasadena, California. This act of hate is under investigation by police and occurred two weeks after a man came to the temple to complain about that flag and ask that it and a Black Lives Matter flag be taken down from the temple’s fence. This incident is part of a larger trend of vandalism at houses of worship across Los Angeles and the nation. This includes an act of vandalism at the Islamic Center of Southern California in Los Angeles during Ramadan, one of the holiest months for Muslims; two separate antisemitic acts of violence outside two different synagogues in Los Angeles’s Pico-Robertson neighborhood; and the overall rise of antisemitic and anti-Black incidents throughout the US in 2022.

“We are deeply troubled by these hateful acts and by the rise in hate crimes across the country. These are intentional crimes that are solely motivated by prejudice, bias, and animus. They create fear and division and further sow mistrust that damages the fabric of our society and fragments our communities. Our hearts are with the members of the Pasadena Buddhist Temple, the Islamic Center of Southern California, the Beit El synagogue in Los Angeles, and with communities across the country who are targets of these hateful acts. The history of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans is rooted in hate, prejudice and discrimination and JANM therefore has a moral obligation to stand with communities of color who are confronting hate head on,” said Ann Burroughs, President and CEO of JANM.

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