In the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy, George Takei provides his memoir after the presidential proclamation ordering all people of Japanese origin to be relocated to isolated camps. The title of the book and its cover page sums the struggles illustrated inside. The image of a policeman holding a gun as men, women, and children queue towards confined houses is at the top. A young boy is also heading to the house but looking back with an absurd expression. It is difficult, just as it was for the lad, to comprehend why they suddenly became foes in the only country they believed was home. This essay aims to discuss the effects of racism and ethnic hatred, as illustrated in the story. Although Takei’s family lived as responsible citizens, they were forced to endure traumatic experiences in the internment facilities.
First, racism classifies people and assigns them negative attributes without any evidence. In introducing his misery, Takei recalls how in the spring of 1942, “Civilian Exclusion Orders” for relocation of Japanese Americans were issued (Takei et al. 23). The Japanese had to observe a curfew of 8 P.M. to 6 A.M. or else they risked facing penalties of “a $5,000 fine, one year’s imprisonment…” (Takei et al. 26-27). They were not criminals; yet, the verdict had already been made for their transportation to the camps. They had to submit to the derogative rules without a chance for self-defense. Moreover, no regard was given to children who were left with many unanswered questions. For example, Takei inquisitively asks his elder brother “what’s going on? Where are we going” (Takei et al. 7) the brother answers that he does not know. Even the adults did not understand because they were living peaceably as Americans. There is no viable explanation for the ill-treatments, which caused stress to both the adults and children.
Second, prejudices and presumptions make people conclude without any evidence. In the story, Takei’s parents are required to answer the survey but the quizzes are subjective. For example, “Will you swear your loyalty to the United States of America, and forswear your loyalty to the emperor of Japan?” (Takei et al. 110). The interrogation tends to imply that the interviewee has rendered their allegiance to the ruler of their country of origin. No wonder Takei’s parents refused to give their response. This illustrates how the nature of ethnic hatred is, and the beliefs about people of a different origin are often biased.
Regrettably, it is the victims of ethnic profiling who are often made feel ashamed while the perpetrators are justified. The tagged people were soon relocated using the train in a journey that took more than two days. The children kept wondering about this “vacation,” where soldiers guard each side (Takei et al. 10). Later during his studies, George recalls how the police would shout “UP THE JAPS; SLAP THE JAPS!” (Takei et al. 174) as reproach covers his face. Moreover, his parents’ generation hates telling stories about traumatic experiences that they went through because of shame. Years after the atrocities, the Japanese-Americans still bear bitter memories while the soldiers have probably forgotten their acts.
Additionally, violation of constitutional and democratic rights is a common, yet harmful, consequence of racism. The natural laws make all citizens feel secure, knowing that they are entitled to similar rights and responsibilities that have been accorded to any other person. This was not the case for the Japanese-Americans who were not allowed to exercise freedom of speech and owning property. The author writes “…they had worked so hard to buy a two-bedroom house, now they were crammed into a single smelly horse stall” (Takei et al. 32). When Takei’s mother goes to withdraw her money, the response is “I am sorry Mrs. Takei, your account has been frozen” (Takei et al. 24). The opinion of the Chinese was not needed as evidenced by the police attacking the protestors in the Tule camp (Takei et al. 143). The implication is that they lost all their assets and in the new residence even Takei’s mother had to sneak a sewing machine. Whenever the majority in a nation starts to ethically profile minority groups, the ultimate result will be disregarding the governing charters.
Notably, recording and creating awareness of past racist atrocities is vital to help future generations learn and make victims feel acknowledged. While in high school, Takei studies civics and government, which reveals that the internment was an assault on Americans. After research, Takei states, “I couldn’t reconcile what I read in these books about the shining ideals of our democracy with what I knew to be my childhood imprisonment” (173). That ugly past had been wiped away to present to students a perfect country. The problem with hiding the truth is that it makes the victims fear that a repeat of their horrors is bound to occur, and the perpetrators will go free. An example of how the United States did not learn is evident in Takei mentioning the Muslim ban, which is a replica of ethnic segregation.
Conclusively, racism and ethnic races are destructive norms that can quickly escalate to atrocities in society. The victims are often responsible citizens of the minority groups who have to endure emotional trauma and social seclusion for no justifiable reason. Democracy and the constitution are disregarded by government officials who execute orders from partisan authorities. The story happened years ago but is relevant to current generations who are repeating similar mistakes without knowing the consequences because the truth is hidden. It is the time for people to accept the bad history, learn from it, and embrace diversity.
Work Cited
Takei, George, et al. They Called Us Enemy. IDW Publishing, 2019.