So this is a touchy subject.I'm Japanese American. I recognize that Japanese history is appalling, I have read enough on it to know the subject enough, and I would never deny that really atrocious war crimes happened and I wouldn't side with Japan on the issue for the record. I try very hard to be educated on the subject, especially because I've had friends in the past talk to me about it and I feel like that's the least I can do-is to be informed and to acknowledge it.
Most people don't bother me about it, but I have have met a handful of people who immediately jumps into the politics as soon as they know I have Japanese roots. Some people are more covert about it, as in they just don't even try to create any connections with me ("OH, you're *Japanese*"-never talks to me ever again), while other people are more overt about it and will try to make me feel as if I alone was the one who created the situation. I have unfortunately met a few people who think this gives them the right to treat me with a huge amount of rudeness and prejudice, although they are few and far in between.
I guess what I'm saying is...I'm not really sure what people want me to do when they bring that topic up. There is unfortunately nothing I can do to change the history, there is nothing I can do to make you feel better, if there was I'd like to know but I don't think I as one person can really assuage something as big as that. I have no voting rights in Japan to change any Japanese policies or to make them give more reparations, I can only inform myself and validate how you feel, but I'm not really sure what more these people are looking for.
What exactly do people want Japanese-Americans to do? I like being part of inter-Asian communities, but things like this kind of does make it difficult and kind of makes me feel like I'm just being made a scapegoat to a ginormous issue that I wasn't there to create, but realize that being Japanese people will see me as having some kind of connection and responsibility to.
I'm sorry if I hit a sore spot, but what would you like to see more Japanese Americans do if you are one of those people?
I met another person who kind of falls into this category which prompted me to make this post. It's a bit tiring to deal with if I'm being honest. I won't say you don't have the right to be angry about the history, but dumping it onto a Japanese American seems like a very unproductive way of dealing with it (although if they show sheer ignorance of the matter it might be a different story).
I feel bad saying this since I understand it is a huge deal, like the Holocaust. Of course you have every right to talk about it and I'm not saying you shouldn't talk about it, and there are even some people who have grandparents/great grandparents who were victims, and when it happens to someone so close of course you have the right to feel strongly about it. It's not something that can just go away like that and nobody should pretend it didn't happen, but I think I want some people to understand being Japanese doesn't automatically make me an enemy or mean I agree with Japan on everything or that I automatically have some allegiance to Japanese everything. People are a lot more nuanced than that.
Edit:
Thanks for all the comments! I was actually not expecting people to agree that this is an unreasonable thing I'm dealing with. It also made me realize even more than before that regions might make a huge difference in experience.
I should strongly point out, even though it may be repetitive, that this definitely doesn't mean to be dismissive of history and to never point out the wrongs that did happen and to sweep it under the rug, no. There's just ways of talking about it without pinning it to the Japanese person you just met. Although I guess the bigger fault behind why that type of behavior exists is because many Japanese people choose to be ignorant on the subject matter, too.
I should also reiterate this isn't every non-Japanese Asian. A lot of the best Asians I know have treated me like family. There's just a minority who does this and it can frustrating to navigate especially when you agree with their views.
I think someone made a good parallel point that Just because we're Americans doesn't mean each and every one of us supports what Trump does. It's good to see people as individuals
