On Thursday, the Brazilian government expressed regret for violating human rights when it imprisoned and persecuted Japanese immigrants in the years following World War II.
“On behalf of the Brazilian government, I wish to express my regret for the mistreatment your forefathers endured—for all the brutalities, crimes, cruelty, torture, bigotry, ignorance, xenophobia, and racism,” said Eneá de Stutz e Almeida, president of the Amnesty Commission, a council of Brazil’s Ministry of Human Rights that reviews applications for amnesty and compensation from those who have been persecuted for their political beliefs.
In a meeting held in Brasilia, notable members of the Japanese community as well as representatives of the Brazilian government supported the apologies appeal. On the table where the speakers were seated, there were flags from both nations.
According to a study published by the Amnesty Commission, between 1946 and 1948, 172 immigrants were detained and subjected to torture at a concentration camp located off the coast of São Paulo.
The commission’s rapporteur, Vanda Davi Fernandes de Oliveira, stated, “Unquestionably, the papers show the political persecution and provide support for the political amnesty that has been declared for the Japanese community and their descendants.”
The Okinawa Kenjin of Brazil Association filed the reparations request in 2015, claiming that Japanese Americans faced discrimination and mistreatment from the start of World War II.
Following its decision to sever diplomatic ties with Japan in 1942 and join the Allies, the Brazilian government seized Japanese-owned assets and forbade immigrants from congregating or speaking Japanese in public.
Mario Jun Okuhara said his forefathers were jailed, tortured, and accused of being spies and saboteurs. He also provided documentation of the persecution and supported the case.
Okuhara stated on Thursday that “They were not at war; rather, they were fighting for their lives, looking for a spot in the sun, and raising their children who were born in Brazil.” It is not appropriate to hold Japanese immigrants accountable for the mistakes made by their government during the conflict. They were citizens of Brazil who worked in many industries, including agriculture.
With more than 2.7 million Japanese citizens and their descendants, Brazil is home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan in the world. Brazil received its first shipment of immigrants from the Asian nation in 1908, and between World Wars I and II, immigration reached its height.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Chief Cabinet Secretary, commended the Japanese community in Tokyo for its contributions to Brazil and its links with Japan.
Brazilians of Japanese ancestry have made significant contributions to the country’s growth through their devotion. We are quite pleased of them and we applaud their efforts for gaining them an honorable position in Brazil, Hayashi remarked.
According to Okuhara, the ceremony served as a means of paying respect to their ancestors and offering solace to the Japanese community on an emotional level. “We can all learn from these awful events and work to prevent them from happening to anyone, regardless of origin or race, but we will never be able to take back the horrors done to our parents and grandparents,” he remarked.