As Japanese Americans whose community was targeted by unjust mass incarceration and separation of families by the U.S. government during WWII, we are appalled by the blatant, ruthless lack of humanity exhibited by those responsible for the family separation policy, as documented in a new draft report by the DOJ’s Inspector General.
Throughout U.S. history we have seen the violent policies of white supremacy break families apart through the slave auction, forced removals of Indigenous people, boarding schools for Indigenous children, and Japanese American incarceration. The separation of families continues via the foster care system and the prison industrial complex — and now via the immigration detention system.
The common thread is a refusal to recognize or respect the humanity of families when they are Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. And it leads to psychological trauma that will span across generations.
These new revelations only make us more determined to hold accountable the people who approved these abuses, and to work in solidarity to build a world where families are not caged, separated, or denied dignity and respect. Kodomo no tame ni: For the sake of the children.
New York Times article: ‘We Need to Take Away Children,’ No Matter How Young, Justice Dept. Officials Said
