![]() ![]() Celebratory alternatives would preserve a state holiday and give it meaning that can be embraced by all our citizens: I put forth that if we have to annually debate and defend this holiday, then it is past time for us to be honest about its history, stop making excuses for it and decide whether it reflects the values of Rhode Island citizens as a whole. But rather than suggest that any one war or any one soldier’s sacrifice is so much greater as to warrant a separate holiday, our nation’s Veterans Day provides the opportunity to reflect upon the impact of and rationale for wars, and to honor and thank Rhode Island soldiers, veterans and their families for their sacrifices. World War II unarguably had a unique impact on Rhode Island due to the number of soldiers sent to war and the amount of equipment and goods manufactured for the war. ![]() It is an attempt to force-fit a modified definition, which is not held by recorded history or the public at large, to justify its continuance. The argument that the official name “Victory Day" is not explicitly about Japan is a poor attempt to gloss over the fact that its origins are firmly rooted in V-J Day. For 75 years, Japanese-Americans of Rhode Island are singularly humiliated and demonized by this holiday. It is the only holiday Rhode Island celebrates around a specific war, a war that decimated a race and their cities. And, to remind them annually of the trials that they and their families suffered, their home state celebrates Victory over Japan Day. ![]() They may have relatives who died in Nagasaki or Hiroshima or suffered horrifically from radiation poisoning. Likely, they or their relatives were corralled into internment camp, stripped of all their assets, and never properly compensated after the war. I try to imagine what this day must feel like to a Japanese American Rhode Islander. So I wonder, given the current social awakening of how certain actions (and inaction) assert oppression upon targeted minorities, how our legislators will respond to the annual speculation from the nation’s and local media as to why we continue to practice this holiday. With our minds awakened to the angst that certain memorials cause, simply by their presence, it is past due for Rhode Island to face and accept that Victory over Japan Day affects our Japanese American citizens and that it negatively reflects on our otherwise genuine effort to be the best state we can be.Įvery day, I appreciate living in Rhode Island, because our state has led in legislation that ensures inclusiveness and demonstrates that the well-being of all our citizens is important. Op-Ed by Amanda Woodward from 2020 My Turn: Amanda Woodward: There is honor in moving on from Victory Day holiday ![]()
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