Is America a racist nation? Signs from Idaho history

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is an ill-informed article by Art da Rosa at the Gem State Patriot News on September 5, 2022 titled Is America a Racist Nation? His answer is:

 

“My conclusion is that America is not a racist nation. In fact, she is the most racially tolerant nation on earth. People from all over the world dream of coming to America, to be free. When they arrive, they are welcomed and given an equal opportunity to participate, have a better life, and succeed.”

 

But, as shown above, that conclusion is belied by the history of what happened eighty years ago, presented at the Minidoka National Historic Site. An article at the National Archives describes President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 from February 19, 1942 which led to the imprisonment of about 122,000 Japanese people, nearly 70,000 who were American citizens. About 13,000 people were held at Minidoka. And a recent article by Jim Jones at the Idaho Capital Sun on June 22, 2022 is titled Idaho’s Minidoka National Historical Site reminds us to remain vigilant against racial injustice.

 

The article by da Rosa notes that he is ethnically Chinese. (Art is a Senior Engineer at the City of Pocatello). He lost to incumbent Jim Guthrie on May 17, 2022 in the Republican primary election for Idaho State Senator in District 28. His web page says he only became a U.S. citizen in 1986, which explains but does not excuse his ignorance of World War II Idaho history.