Assistant Professor of History Chris Suh contributed to a recent article published as a part of NPR’s Code Switch series. Josh Axelrod wrote the piece, entitled “A Century Later: The Treaty Of Versailles And Its Rejection Of Racial Equality,” which discusses Japan’s ultimately-rejected proposal for an anti-racist clause in the 1919 accord that ended World War I. Read part of Suh’s contribution below along with the full article.

“‘At the bottom of all of this is the idea that certain people of color cannot be trusted and people of color do not deserve a place, not only on the world stage but also in our own communities,’ says professor Chris Suh who studies Asian American history.

“The rejection of the proposal would play a role in shaping the U.S.-Japan relationship, World War II and Japanese American immigration. It sheds light on the treatment of nonwhite immigrant groups by the U.S. and its legacy of white supremacy.

“‘Basically … there continues to be this sense of racial superiority among the Americans’ toward Japan, Suh argues.”