They Called Us Enemy
Author: George Takei, Steven Scott, & Justin Eisinger
Illustrator: Harmony Becker
Genre: Young Adult/Memoir/Graphic Novel/Nonfiction
Publication Date: July 16, 2019
Number of Pages: 204
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Geographical Setting: Los Angeles, California, Santa Anita Racetrack, California, Rohwer Relocation Center, Arkansas, Tule Lake, California
Subject Headings: WWII, Japanese, Pearl Harbor, Internment Camp, Memoir
Summary:
George Takei relives his past in this graphic novel to shed light on the internment camps during World War II. He shows how his parents persevered through all the moves and challenges that came along with being segregated, discriminated, and stripped of all their worldly possessions. George spent 4 years in camps and when his family and others got out there was a fight to not be deported and to find work and homes quickly. Due to Takei's age during this time he shows how not only adults were traumatized with his parents' story but also the children who knew nothing but being imprisoned in camps. He shows this by taking us along with him as he grows up and becomes an adult giving speeches or marching along with Martin Luther King Jr.. He always remembered these times and as a child he was told they were going on vacation or a new adventure. Takei's work shows the pride he has for his family and their heritage. They had to learn how to live outside the barb wire.
Memoir/Graphic Novel Elements:
The elements of a memoir can be seen throughout this graphic novel. A few of these elements are:
- It has a focused theme. Memoirs can be about telling lessons the author has learned. This novel tells the story of George Takei and his family during WWII and their time in internment camps. It is supposed to educate and help people understand what happened and the impact these camps had on the people put into the camps.
- It has storytelling elements that focus on moments and events that influenced the author. His time growing up in these camps changed his perspective of the world. He was afraid of being outside the walls because of what people would say to him and because of his time in these camps he grew up to advocate for his rights as well as others.
- It is a reflection of how he saw his life. The author tells the story of his life from when he was little up to present day in order of the events that happened.
The elements of a graphic novel help emphasize the memoir nature of this story. Some of these elements are:
- The captions and panels give more description to the story being told. The captions may help lead to a new part of the story, explain what the dialog means, as well as emphasize the emotion the characters are feeling. The captions and panels also show how Takei's parents saw the world compared to the children. The panels bring all the feelings the reader should feel to life and gives vivid detail to what happened in the internment camps.
- Dialog bubbles help readers differentiate the characters speaking as well as give readers insight to what is going on with secondary characters. It helps Takei show what his parents were saying that he might not have understood at such a young age but remembers later on in life.
3 Terms to Describe the Book:
- Emotional
- Thought-provoking
- Historical
Read-Alikes:
- Displacement by Kiku Hughes
- Dear Miss Breed: true stories of the Japanese American incarceration during World War II and a librarian who made a difference by Joanne Oppenheim
- March: Book One by John Lewis
- Torn Apart: The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi by Susan Aihoshi
- Take What You Can Carry by Kevin C. Pyle
- The War Outside by Monica Hesse
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteI read this book for another MLIS course last semester, and found it to be very powerful. Some of the images from the book have really stuck with me since then - like when George thinks it is going to be a fun adventure when they sleep in the horse stable, or how his mom used some of the valuable space in her bag to pack things to occupy the kids on the train ride.
I think this story is told particularly well in graphic novel format. Getting to see the facial expressions on George and his family members really helps the reader feel as if they are in their shoes. Plus, the somber color scheme used helps add to the tone of the story. Did you enjoy the book?
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteThose memories stuck with me as well. The one that really got me was his mom taking her sewing machine. I almost cried thinking about how many other things could have been in her bag in its place.
I loved the book. The format helped the book come to life and I felt the emotions with the writing and images combined. I think it is one that can get conversations started and could even be a good way to teach kids about different points of view in history classes.
Hi Abby! I love George Takei! He is on my Insta, FB, and Twitter - I am definitely a stalker of his voice :) I have this GN on my TBR and will move it faster towards the top thanks to your annotation and Sara's comments. I have been avoiding non-fiction for a while, but just picked up a few GN memoirs for my LGBTQ annotation. This memoir is next. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Abby!
ReplyDeleteI read this book when it came out, and I was so moved. We never learned about the Japanese internment camps when I was in school, at all. If you asked about it, they'd send you to detention or say "what's that?" It was a very strange time. So many people just want to sweep the worst parts of history under the rug and it's awful. Takei's book brings so much to light and I loved being able to read about his experiences, even if it was a hard time for him.
Tess and Abby,
DeleteAfter reading this book, I couldn't believe how much I didn't know about these internment camps. It was a powerful read because it shined a light on my own ignorance.
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great choice! I also read this book for another MLIS class and appreciate how Takei was able to bring such an important and overlooked topic to young readers. So many people have no idea what was happening, the fear and ignorance, in our country during WWII and I think that having such a well-known pop culture figure's name on the cover has to be good for exposure. I read a very similar graphic novel, The Unwanted, about Syrian refugees and was struck by the similarities. History just keeps repeating itself but books like these can help us learn from the past.
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great choice! I also read this book for another MLIS class and appreciate how Takei was able to bring such an important and overlooked topic to young readers. So many people have no idea what was happening, the fear and ignorance, in our country during WWII and I think that having such a well-known pop culture figure's name on the cover has to be good for exposure. I read a very similar graphic novel, The Unwanted, about Syrian refugees and was struck by the similarities. History just keeps repeating itself but books like these can help us learn from the past.
Hi Abby,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great choice! I also read this book for another MLIS class and appreciate how Takei was able to bring such an important and overlooked topic to young readers. So many people have no idea what was happening, the fear and ignorance, in our country during WWII and I think that having such a well-known pop culture figure's name on the cover has to be good for exposure. I read a very similar graphic novel, The Unwanted, about Syrian refugees and was struck by the similarities. History just keeps repeating itself but books like these can help us learn from the past.
Excellent annotation! I've been meaning to get to this one for a while now. Great job also mentioning the graphic novel appeals. Full points!
ReplyDelete