History (Fifteen Year War in Asia) - Essay Example

This essay will address the responses of African Americans and Japanese Americans before and during the World War II. Many influential African descendants began admiring Japan after Japan’s defeat of Russia. W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey and Harry Dean all wrote and spoke about their high regard for the Japanese. These men considered Japanese to be a people of color. For a people of color to vanquish a country ruled by a white monarchy gave African Americans hope. If Japan could triumph over Russia, why could Japan not defeat America?

Marcus Garvey believed the wind of change had started blowing. His organization the Universal Negro Improvement Association began supporting pro-Japanese causes in American and Britain. The African descendents and African Americans did not only admire the Japanese for their victory in the Russo-Japan war. The Japanese were admired for their acceptance of people of color. Many Japanese speakers in America at that time brought an African American wife or mistress to address the African Americans.

In a time of Jim Crow laws to have a Japanese man affiliate himself with African Americans proved that Japan could provide a more racially equal environment than America. The thought of a society with little or no racial tension appealed to African Americans. To boost the pro-Japanese stance, Elijah Muhammad, a Nation of Islam leader, Marcus Garvey and Harry Dean, Paul Cuffe’s grandson, put forth the theory that Africans and Japanese were related by blood. A theory was put forth that Africans and Japanese were related by blood.

Harry Dean, a sailor by profession, brought a tale back from Africa. This tale, the Teo Saga, claimed a chief, more Japanese than Africa, told how South Africa, Madagascar, Sumatra, Java, Korea and Japan once were connected by land. After the great flood these places were separated by water. Elijah Muhammad pointed out the