Rep. Chu Condemns Comparisons to Japanese Internment and Other Xenophobic Rhetoric Around Syrian Refugees

WASHINGTON, DC – In support of his opposition to allowing in any Syrian refugees, David Bowers, mayor of Roanoke, VA, cited the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Bowers said, “I’m reminded that President Franklin D. Roosevelt felt compelled to sequester Japanese foreign nationals after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and it appears that the threat of harm to America from ISIS now is just as real and serious as that from our enemies then.” Congress eventually apologized for the policy of Japanese internment, and sixty years later, not a single case of espionage has been proven. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) released the following statement:

“I absolutely condemn this comparison. Japanese internment was a dark chapter in American history - so un-American Congress later apologized for it. The fact that not one single case of espionage by a Japanese American was proven underscores how wrong Mayor Bowers is to positively cite this policy. Instead of keeping us safe, Japanese internment compromised our principles and demonized an entire population of Americans. It is outrageous to let the same kind of xenophobia influence our policy today. If we do, we will only regret it again.

“Sadly, the false admiration for the failed and embarrassing policy of Japanese internment is just one example of how extreme the rhetoric around Syrian refugees has become. Other responses include limiting resettlement just to Christians or closing our borders altogether. This is not the America I know. We have the strictest refugee policy in the world which prioritizes women, children, and those escaping torture. These are exactly the people who should be helped, not abandoned to be killed by ISIS or left in a refugee camp – none of which serves our security interests. Sadly, as with Japanese internment, we have seen this before when we closed our borders to Jews fleeing Germany. Those were the wrong choices then, and they are the wrong choices now. We must stop the inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric, stick to our values, and not emulate the mistakes of the past.”