

In the years following the attacks, the survivors became known as the hibakusha – “the explosion-affected people” – and were subjected to widespread discrimination” (History Hit, 2018).
Victory day ri 2021 skin#
More common health effects among survivors included cataract, which often formed years after the attacks, and keloids, abnormally protruding scar tissue that forms as burned skin heals. So did anaemia, a blood disorder that prevents the creation of enough red blood cells. Other forms of cancer, including thyroid, lung and breast cancer, also saw an increase – albeit less marked. “Both cities saw an increase in the number of leukaemia cases after the bombings. The bombings also caused lasting health issues for survivors and the bombings have many effects that can still be felt today in Japan. There is about 10,000,000,000 times as much toxic material initially in the bomb itself as is needed for a single lethal dose.’ This level of radiation caused the immediate death of any person close enough to the initial blast, but more importantly, it caused severe and painful burns on others that were just outside of the blast radius” (History Crunch, 2015). Robert Oppenheimer (who is sometimes called the “father of the atomic bomb”) stated in a secret memo that “‘The active material of the bomb itself is toxic. We should name it after something else, something that honors the brave Japanese American soldiers of World War II or BIPOC veterans who aren’t remembered or recognized enough for their brave actions.įurthermore, Victory Day celebrates, not mourns, the deaths of the “75,000” civilians in Nagasaki who were killed in the atomic bombing (Npr.org, 2019). I think it is nice for people to have a holiday, but they should call it something else” (Nesi, 2018). Hiroko Shikashio, a Rhode Island resident of Japanese descent, said, “Because I am Japanese, I have always felt uneasy about going outside on that day. Some don’t feel comfortable going outside on Victory Day. And as an Asian-American, I stand together with the Japanese-Americans who feel insulted by the name of this day.Įven worse, this day kindles fear in some Japanese-American people. With your support, we can easily avoid this by changing the intent of Victory Day and renaming it. So that we do also celebrate the soldiers who led us to victory in World War II on Victory Day, only in a different way.Īs an Indian-American girl, I would be enraged if there was a “Victory Over India Day.” Imagine how it would feel to have a day like this about your country. And on Victory Day, we start honoring the Japanese-American Soldiers of World War II, or BIPOC veterans, so that we celebrate the brave soldiers who fought in that war. We suggest celebrating the end of World War II on May 8th, instead. People celebrate by joining in parades, marching bands, and marching down the streets.

The defeat of the Nazis in Europe is celebrated around America on May 8th. We can celebrate the end of World War II on a different day. However, there is no reason to also celebrate the bombing of tens of thousands of innocent civilians. We agree that we should celebrate the end of World War II, and remember, respect and honor our troops and veterans. Some people celebrate the beginning of the end of World War II on Victory Day. Their deep love for this country that made them serve to fight for us, and their belief that America could change, should make us change and rename this holiday to a day that instead celebrates the bravery of these soldiers, and a day that honors the sacrifices they made. These soldiers fought for this country after we put so many Japanese-American civilians, including their own friends and family, in internment camps. With your support, we will hopefully be able to put a stop to the legacy of racial hatred by changing the name and intent of Victory Day we could instead celebrate BIPOC veterans or honor the Nisei, (Japanese American), soldiers who fought for America in World War II. The coalition Stop AAPI Hate recorded 3,795 incidents involving Anti-Asian hate between March 19th last year and February 28th, 2021. Some Japanese Americans are even scared to go outside on this day. Signing the petition to make this change is especially important at this time, because there’s been a recent surge in Anti-Asian hate crimes. Victory Day is likely to bring up horrible memories for those who survived the horror of Japanese-American civilian internment camps, and for relatives of the survivors. We’d appreciate it if you signed this petition, which proposes that we change the name Victory Day or simply stop celebrating it because it celebrates the day we bombed 75,000 unarmed civilians in Nagasaki. Victory Day is only considered an official holiday in Rhode Island. This petition concerns Victory Day, (also called Victory Day, or Victory Over Japan Day), which is celebrated in Rhode Island on the second Monday of August every year.
