• AThing4String
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    1 year ago

    There’s a small difference between saying

    “due to repeated wars by our neighbor explicitly using the presence of their citizens in foreign soil to justify annexation, we’re revoking temporary residency of their foreign nationals and deporting them. Return to your home country or go elsewhere.” And “Citizen or not, once a jap always a jap, due to our beef over Pacific imperialism we’re taking your property and imprisoning you in this concentration camp”

    • GoodPointSir@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      That small difference is one is being said by the government to justify its actions, and the other is said by someone generations after the act was done, to specifically highlight the racism.

      The actual statements produced by the American government would have sounded a lot like your first quote, and the Lithuanian forced deportation could also be summarized as “once a Russian, always a Russian”

      • AThing4String
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        1 year ago

        I’m literally saying this as a visa holder / residence permit holder in my country of residence right now. When it was issued me, it was made very clear that my status in the country was a privilege that could be revoked at any time for a myriad of reasons. Now, “repeated wars of aggression by your home country with the specific excuse of controlling territory occupied by you” wasn’t EXPLICITLY listed, but I’d be shocked to retain my status in those circumstances.

        I’m not their citizen - as of yet I haven’t started attempting to be one. Describing myself even as “from” here would be misleading. "Once a _____ always a ______” doesn’t even apply - I’ve never tried to be anything BUT a ______??

        If article was “Lithuania strips citizenship and rights from Russian born naturalized residents” I’d be concerned. Instead, article is “Lithuania deports small fraction of its Russian and Belarusian expats identified as active threat during wartime”. Which is actually surprisingly restrained.