Genocide And Denial—Remembering The Nanjing Massacre At The HRCA

The Nanjing Massacre of 1937, where nearly half a million Chinese were brutally murdered by the Japanese, remains a secret to most of the world. But in Queens, the memories of the estimated 380,000 to 420,000 slain Chinese will not be denied.

The Queensborough Community College Holocaust Resource Center and Archives is hosting “The Nanjing Massacre: Genocide and Denial.” The art exhibit opened Sunday at the HRCA to a crowd of supportive community members, students, and local and international dignitaries.

The Japanese government’s attitude toward the Nanjing Massacre has changed dramatically since the horrific genocide took place. During World War II the Japanese covered up the massacre. But in the 1950s and ’60s, confessions and documentation by Japanese soldiers began to surface.

The 1970s and ’80s brought disputes as to the extent of the killings. And soon there were official distortions and an intentional rewriting of history. Prior to 1970, there was no open denial by the Japanese, but by the ’90s, the Japanese government said the Nanjing Massacre had never happened.

Genocide denial is a typical phenomenon according to Dr. William Shulman, director of the HRCA. Chinese feelings of frustration with the burying of truth were the driving force behind the project.

“The Nanjing Massacre: Genocide and Denial,” involved not only the HRCA but also the Center for Asia Pacific Affairs and the Alliance in Memory of Victims of the Nanjing Massacre. The offices of City Councilman John Liu and Assemblyman Jimmy Meng, both of Flushing, provided funding support.

At the exhibit opening on Sunday, the call for recognition and retribution was overwhelming.

Ambassador Andrew Hsia, director general of Taiwan, attended the ceremony. “The more I read about the Nanjing Massacre, the more it made me angry,” Hsia said. He felt that since Taiwan was the government in Nanjing during the massacre, his presence at the exhibit was important. “The Japanese government should apologize, should admit their mistakes,” he said.

Hsia placed a strong emphasis on his desire for Japan to be held accountable. He called attention to other mass killings that happened during World War II. In other cases, governments have apologized and countries were able to move on. Nanjing stands apart because, to this day, the Japanese government denies the atrocities. Hsia believes that to err is human and to forgive is divine, but the world cannot move forward until the Japanese government acknowledges their unspeakable errors.

“We all make mistakes,” Hsia said. “I find it difficult ever to forgive, so we should never forget.”

The sobering exhibition allows visitors to experience a video with testimonials from victims, written documentations and photographs of everything from the city to the people to the killings themselves. The testimonies contain terrors beyond the scope of imagination.

At the time of the massacre, most government and administrative personnel had evacuated Nanjing. The civilians who remained locked in the city included an alarming number of women and children.

The Nanjing Massacre is rarely mentioned in textbooks, encyclopedias, or history classes. Exhibit organizers strove to direct the attention of mainstream society to the events of Nanjing. “It’s important for the Chinese community and all American students to at least recognize this piece of history,” said Flushing resident Grace Meng.

Queensborough Community College serves as a welcoming environment for the opening of this groundbreaking exhibit. Cited as having one of the most diverse student bodies in the country, the college educates approximately 137 nationalities. Close to half of their students are foreign-born.

Dr. Arthur Flug, educational outreach coordinator of the HRCA, feels it is the responsibility of the college to educate the students as to who they are, what they are and what their responsibilities are. He hopes the Nanjing exhibit will gain the attention of students. “This exhibit is something that should have taken place 60 years ago,” Flug said.

“We want the world to remember,” said Eric Huen, president of the Society of Oral History on Modern China. The college hopes that the art exhibit touches the lives of as many people as possible so that, in the words of Ambassador Hsia, “Such mistakes shall never happen again.”

“The Nanjing Massacre: Genocide and Denial” will remain on display in the Holocaust Resource Center and Archives through September. HRCA is located in the Library Building of QCC at 222-05 56th Avenue in Bayside. Call 718-281-5770 for more information.