Bombing of Pearl Harbor

Your Dec. 5 Column One article suggests that there is a bias in this country against Japanese-Americans. What bias? Is being congratulated for speaking good English a bias as the article hints? I think not. Surely there are some racist acts perpetrated against Japanese-Americans. However, these acts do not remotely reflect the treatment the majority of Japanese-Americans receive.

Don’t feel sorry for us. The average salary of Japanese-Americans is at least on a par with white Americans. What bias? The United States formally apologized to interned Japanese-Americans and agreed to pay each $20,000. The article itself states that up to 95% of the students in Asian studies classes at UCLA have never experienced discrimination. The article misplaces the emphasis. The real story is how fortunate most Japanese-Americans feel to live in a country with such little bias.

JON SHIGEMATSU

Pasadena