In Flushing, civic leaders are moving forward with plans for a proposed street-renaming and memorial to honor the thousands of Asian "comfort women" who suffered during World War II: Councilman Peter Koo going ahead with controversial memorial.Historians say about 200,000 girls and young women were kidnapped or lured from Korea, China and other occupied lands to serve as sex slaves for the Japanese Army. City Councilman Peter Koo has proposed a public monument, as well as renaming an intersection "Comfort Women Memorial Way."
However, the memorial plans have been met with controversy:
Some members of the Japanese community have claimed the women were prostitutes or willing participants. Lawmakers from Japan recently visited officials in Palisades Park, N.J., in an effort to convince them to remove their comfort women memorial.This is about a community taking steps to ensure that a painful part of history, and the horror that these comfort women had to endure, are not easily forgotten. I really don't understand the resistance. More here: Koo plans honors for comfort women.
Koo and his Council colleagues have received letters and emails from Japanese citizens unhappy with the memorial plan.
"I represent local constituents, and this is what they want," said Koo, who said he was unfazed by the angry missives.
