[schildkoi]

There is no doubt that US Citizens of Japanese decent were done an injuctice (through internment camps) during WW II and that that act in retrospect was what some may consider unconstitutional. Times were different and with the "dishonorable act" of the attack on Pearl harbor, fears and speculations were high. Although these US citizens of Japanese decent were done an injustice, as a whole, an even bigger injustice was felt by them which was bestowed upon them by the Japanese government....the loss of honor in their homeland by the unconscionable act of that sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. Despite the injustice done by the US government, their patriotism for the US rose due to this act by their "homeland" (for lack of a better term).

Although as JR mentioned, there may still exist a predjudice for Americans by some in Japan, likewise those same predjudices that existed here have faded over the years. During the 1960s as a young boy my father had a distinct dislike for Japanese and any product labeled as "Made in Japan." We were not even allowed to have any of these types of products in our home. It wasn't until the 1980s (35 years post WW II) that Japanese items began "sneaking into his home." He now will only buy Honda automobiles...but still mentions that they are actually made in the US. Why such predjudice from my father? Being a Navy Corpsman attached to the Fourth Marine Division, he participated in the battles of Roi-Namur, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jime where he landed with a Marine riffle company of about 200 men. He was only 1 of 22 who walked off that island. Some memories never die.

To this day he has never accepted my love for Koi, knowing that it is a Japanese hobby. I still catch "flack" when I announce a trip to Japan.

Steve