Possibility of Muslim Registry Hits Home for Japanese Americans Interned During WWII

In the pages of history there are many lessons — and many regrets. Yukio Kawamoto is one of tens of thousands of Japanese Americans put in an internment camp during World War II.

“I wouldn't say we were hated, but you know we weren't the most popular of people,” Kawamoto tells NBC 7 San Diego. “They took away our freedom.”

Kawamoto says he doesn't want to see anything like that happen again.

President-elect Donald Trump famously called for a Muslim ban during his campaign and has also floated the idea of a Muslim registry.

On “Meet the Press” Sunday, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said that, while there is no plan for a registry based on religion, the team is "not going to rule out anything."

Kawamoto, who still remembers the camp like it was yesterday, hopes nothing like it ever happens again. He says if individual people are a threat a jury should decide the person’s fate.

“Just because of their religion or their race – no way – it shouldn’t happen,” he says. But he warns, “If enough people want it to happen, it might happen again, but I hope not.”

“This is the only country I know,” Muslim American Amir Jafri says. “My kids, this is the only country they know and for me to have to register to live in my own home … that just doesn't make sense to me."

Futema Jafri points out the founders of the country were escaping religious persecution and established the country on religious freedom.

“Any religion being isolated or being asked to register is concerning because it violates the founding principles of our country,” she says.

Shazli Hussain says the most important question for him is not whether there will be a registry, but what would they be registering for. “What happens next?” he asks. “It’s a slippery slope. When you start registering one group of people or you start registering one section of society, where do you draw the line?”

Hussain says he’s afraid Americans will look back at this time in the future and wonder “how did that happen?”