Several people have drawn comparisons to the Pearl Harbor bombings, but Dean of Colleges Charles Inouye, a Japanese American, related Tuesday's events to a different experience: his parents' internment by the United States Government during World War II.
During a forum entitled "Blaming Others: Demonizing/Dehumanizing," Inouye used his parents' experience to highlight the danger of striping people of their humanity, especially in times of war,
Inouye, Provost Sol Gittleman, and child development Professor Chip Gidney spoke to over 50 students last night at Dewick dining hall in an event moderated by Dean of Natural and Social Sciences Susan Ernst. Forty-five minutes into the forum, students entered the discussion.
Inouye and Gittleman spoke about their experiences during World War II to illustrate how easily anger can turn to hatred. Although Gittleman was only seven years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed, he did not escape the grasp of Hollywood's influence and popular sentiments. A self-described "product of dehumanization," Gittleman examined how, under the influence of motion pictures and government propaganda, he separated groups of people into either "good or bad." The Japanese, he recalled, fell squarely in the "bad" category.
"We were prepared to do anything to anyone who was Japanese because of the motion pictures," he said. When the US dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, "we ran around doing dances," Gittleman said. "We just didn't give a damn."
The negative portrayal of Japanese in popular movies and the overwhelmingly positive representation of US allies allowed people to forget the humanity of not only Japanese living overseas, but also of Japanese Americans, Gittleman said. "It can happen to you," he said. "It happened to me. It happened to the entire country."
For Inouye, "it" happened to his American-born parents. Less than one year after Honolulu was bombed, Inouye's "family lost everything." His father, a Stanford graduate, started his own business because he was unable to find work in American companies.
When then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the order forcing Japanese-Americans into internment camps, his father lost his business. His family was allowed to bring one suitcase when they moved to a racetrack in California.
After recalling episodes that occurred nearly 60 years ago, Inouye returned the focus to Tuesday's events. "My greatest fear is how we will respond," he said. "I know from my family that we are capable of responding in a way that is very unjust."
Gidney, the third speaker, was brought to tears while describing hate-inspired acts committed around the country and on the Tufts campus. Mosques around the nation have been attacked, he said, and in one instance, pig's blood was thrown on the walls of a mosque. Near Gidney's home in Arlington, MA, he said some individuals are boycotting Arab-owned businesses.
Gidney, a specialist in language, also cautioned against interchanging certain labels, at times incorrectly - such as Arab and Muslim or Jew and Israeli. "I hope our nation can temper our action with mercy... and compassion."
In an impromptu speech, Omidyar Scholar Tommy Calvert shared some goals reached after a meeting with President Emeritus John DiBiaggio and Rob Hollister, dean of the University College for Citizenship and Public Service. He said that students needed to "humanize each other."
"People are scared to say 'hello' to you because they don't know how you view them," Calvert said.
Calvert proposed that Tufts, as an international leader, reach out to those who have "dehumanized" US citizens of foreign descent. He cited the oft-broadcast images of Pakistani citizens celebrating the attacks as examples of dehumanization; Americans, he reasoned, are capable of the same behavior. "I think that this is a time we ought to bridge that gap," he said.
Although those who spoke at the forum suggested various methods of outreach, Seymour Bellin, research professor in sociology, said that Americans should more closely study the ramifications of the country's foreign policy. "We need to understand why people hate America," he said. "Otherwise, it'll happen again."
One member of the audience postulated that other countries' resentment stems from America's support of Israel. Some Middle Eastern students may feel that US condones Israel's acts of terrorism, an audience member said.
"We don't talk about it," he said, "but we suffer because of it."
