Many people educated in the United States of America (not to be confused with the other United States in North America -> Los Estados Unidos Mexicanos) received less than satisfactory history lessons, due to many factors, but in this case it was specifically withheld for decades, because people were embarrassed by the government sanctioned actions against the Issei & Nisei who lived in the western states of the US.
By Presidential executive order, based on unfounded fears about spies and espionage, Issei & Nisei were ordered to leave their homes and businesses (most with under 24 hours notice) and moved to internment camps against their will. Please realize most of them were US citizens! How would you like for your government to force you and your entire family including babies from your home and into an internment camp, with no judicial process? They were forced to accept little or nothing for their property and belongings that were left behind. When they were finally released, they returned to find people and signs telling them they weren’t wanted and to leave, such as “NO JAPS ALLOWED”, using the term “Jap” or “Japs” (all caps or not)! It was and is an offensive derogatory term; even so, I don't believe Ax intended his original post which had "JAP" in it, to be anything other than his choice to shorten made in Japan to 3 characters, even though many people use JPN, and did not intent to offend anyone by it.
Please realize that many of the returning Issei & Nisei had served in the US military during the war. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was formed of Nisei and through heroic actions during combat in World War II became the most decorated regiment in US military history!
Yankee was, and to some is, an offensive and derogatory term, but the colonial Americans took the term and made a joke of it. I don’t think the term “JAP” will be made into a joke anytime by those who suffered the humiliation of the internment camps, or returning heroes prevented from living in the homes they left.
Edited by Defender II, Today, 3:28 AM.














