Densho calls for greater education after Wyoming lawmaker’s use of anti-Japanese slur

Densho, a nonprofit organization that documents testimonies of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II, emphasized the critical need for education following Wyoming State Rep. John Winter’s use of an anti-Japanese racial slur while referring to the Heart Mountain incarceration site.

Winter, who serves Wyoming’s 28th district, used the term “J*p camp” while discussing an upcoming visit to Heart Mountain Interpretive Center during a Joint Agricultural Committee meeting on June 10. The comment, which was caught on livestream, drew immediate criticism from community leaders. Speaking to WyoFile, Heart Mountain board chair Shirley Ann Higuchi, whose parents were among the 14,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated at the site, called Winter’s language “unfortunate” and that he “should become better educated.”

Winter apologized on June 12, telling AsAm News that the term “just slipped out of my mouth as that is what it has always been referred to in my world as a kid.” He acknowledged he “knew better” and expressed regret for upsetting anyone. The Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), which focuses on advancing AAPI civil rights, called his apology “an essential first step in taking accountability” while noting that the slur “continues to strip away the dignity of those incarcerated.”

In an interview with The Rebel Yellow, Densho Executive Director Naomi Ostwald Kawamura explained that when public officials use such language, it “erases huge parts of the story, dehumanizes the people who lived through it and sends a message that this chapter of American history is still not fully acknowledged or respected.” She emphasized that such slurs and euphemisms have historically been used “to justify discriminatory actions.”

Addressing Winter’s apology, Kawamura acknowledged that while his remarks “seem to be rooted in a lack of familiarity with Japanese American history rather than actual malice,” they point to a greater need for better education and understanding. Elected officials, she emphasized, should be part of the solution.

“Winter is certainly not alone in using that term to describe Heart Mountain and other U.S. concentration camps, and he’s far from the only American to receive an incomplete education about Japanese American WWII incarceration,” she said. “If we hope to change that in the future, we need to make sure that this history is reaching students and the general public today, support the institutions that teach it, and speak about it in a way that honors those who lived through it.”

Kawamura emphasized the broader educational crisis the country is facing, describing it as “an escalation in attempts to erase or rewrite difficult histories” such as the incarceration of Japanese Americans in WWII. This, she argued, makes education even more critical. She called for leaders to “support efforts that preserve and amplify these stories, ensuring that the full scope of American history is included in our schools, libraries, national parks and other places of learning.”

She also highlighted how this history offers crucial lessons for today’s youth, particularly Asian Americans. “This history contains important lessons, not just about the struggles of previous generations, but also stories of resistance and resilience. That’s especially powerful for young people today, especially those facing their own experiences of racism and exclusion,” she explained.

Kawamura also stressed the timely nature of such stories. “These stories are especially relevant today, as we witness echoes of this history like the Alien Enemies Act and immigration bans, all carried out in the name of ‘national security,’” she said, referring to the Trump administration’s sweeping policies. “We must preserve this history and pass on the stories of those who lived it, so that younger generations can recognize these patterns of injustice, racism and xenophobia — and learn how to challenge them,” she added.

 

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.