This thread keeps referring back to Japanese-Americans interred during WWII and Native Americans as analogous to the situation facing African-Americans today.
In the case of Japanese-American internment as compared to slavery, reparations and apologies were made to the exact people who were interred. There were no intervening generations of people on both sides to untangle to find the proper people to make reparations to or the proper people responsible for the injustices. This is not an analogous situation in regards to slavery, as the immediate victims of slavery have long since died and cannot be compensated in any way.
In the case of Native Americans, which might more closely parallel the systemic racial injustices of the past faced by African Americans, there have been attempts to apologize and try to make some restitution to recent past and current generations by way of government programs and entitlements. People who can prove their Native American heritage are entitled to some government benefits and perks, though probably not as many or as comprehensive as many might believe, and I dare say few would call themselves better off because of them. This is more closely aligned to the discussion of reparations for centuries of discrimination faced by some African Americans, but definitely not a program to aspire to, at any rate.
The analogy that I’d like to put forth is the comparative situation of women in America. In my lifetime women have been denied rights simply because they were female.
-Until 1839 women were unable to own property in their own names. In 1839 it became legal in one state (MS). It wasn’t until 1900 that it was legal in every state. Of course, if that woman married, then everything became her husband’s property as head and master of the family, until 1974.
-Until 1890 women were unable to vote. Wyoming allowed women to vote in 1890. It wasn’t until 1920 that every state allowed women to vote.
-Until 1963 women were systematically paid less than men. In 1963 a law was passed to guarantee equal pay for equal work. I submit that in many cases women are still paid less than their male counterparts. It isn’t legal, and a lawsuit can be brought if it can be proven, but it is extremely hard to prove that any pay discrepancy is based on gender rather that another reason.
-Until 1972 it was legal to discriminate at colleges and universities based on gender.
-Until 1973 it was legal to force a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy. In 2019 several states passed laws to effectively regain ownership of women’s reproductive rights irrespective of her wishes or her doctor’s advice.
-Until 1978 a woman could be legally fired from her job if she was pregnant.
-Until 1993 there was no legal definition of marital rape in the US, and no recourse for women who experienced it.
As a woman who was raised by a single mother (who gave birth to me at 16 because abortion was illegal, as was birth control for unmarried women), and who lived in “the bad part of town” because mom was unable to establish credit in her own name to get a mortgage to buy a house, which she couldn’t afford anyway because she was paid way less than her male coworkers at the meatpacking plant, I feel I can speak with at least a little knowledge of living in tough circumstances due to systematic legal discrimination. I didn’t go to a good school. Good schools were in the rich neighborhoods, though I did graduate 3rd in my class from the school I attended. I didn’t go to college (I couldn’t afford it at the time), but both of my children did. I worked unskilled to semi-skilled jobs most of my life, working my way up to what I’d call middle management. Laws have changed, though, and I’ll fight for my rights if and when they are threatened.
The world has changed, albeit no one can say it is a perfect utopia of unity, and I truly believe deep in my heart that everyone, EVERYONE, living today has a chance at a good future. Perhaps not an equal chance. There’s always someone better off than you, with better connections than you, with a more privileged past than you. There will always be someone who doesn’t like you for who you are, whether you’re Hispanic, or gay, or elderly, or in any way “not them”. That’s life. And there are laws against it. Use them.
Wallowing in victimhood, bemoaning the injustices of the past, does way more harm than good. It only gives you a scapegoat to point to when life isn’t what you’d like it to be instead of an incentive to be better. There are way more productive uses of time.
The past doesn’t owe me, or you, anything. Even if it did, the past cannot pay. The past is over. Yes, my present would be different if my past was different. Yes, my present could be better if subtle discrimination didn’t exist. As a country, a society, a people, all we can do is fight for the future. We can’t change the past. We shouldn’t forget it, but we also shouldn’t allow ourselves to be defined by it.