They Called Us Enemy

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, 120,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and put in internment camps. George Takei was one of those Japanese Americans and this is the story of his experience.

I somehow escaped learning about this dark episode of American history in school and didn't learn of it until I watched something about it on the History channel in my early 20s. It seemed horrible then and it seems horrible now.

I found this to be a moving book. Told in a subdued, manga style, the art is minimalist but powerful. I could hear George Takei's deep voice in my head as I read it. Born in Los Angeles, little George Takei didn't quite understand what was happening until much later. His family was taken from their home and eventually wound up living in an internment camp in Arkansas before being moved to another camp in California. Not surprising, the experience has followed him throughout his life.

The question "What does it mean to be American and who gets to decide?" is at the core of the graphic novel. Despite his experiences, George Takei's father imparted to him that America's democracy is still the best in the world as long as everyone participates, something everyone needs to keep in mind.

Life in the camps was tough but imagine being set free with no money and no place to go. The latter part of the book details George growing up, becoming an actor, and eventually seeing the survivors of the interment get reparations.

They Called Us Enemy is one of those powerful graphic novels that everyone should read. Five out of five stars.





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