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Christine Deodanes

Professor Ditch

English 115

October 31, 2019

George Takei: Formed through Suffering

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei is a graphic memoir that follows his experience

both during and after Executive Order 9066. The executive order was a direct response to the

Pearl Harbor attack during the Second World War because the U.S citizens feared another attack.

On February 19, 1942, the executive order is issued by U.S President Roosevelt, declaring that

Japanese Americans are a threat to the U.S. Those of Japanese descent are relocated and

incarcerated to one of the ten “relocation centers”, where they are to be held for many years. The

effects of the executive order brought both joy and terror behind the barbed wire fences. It was

an eye-opening experience for Takei to grow up under legalized racism. His parents faced hard

decisions while in the camps but those experiences shaped Takei into the person he is today. He

is a civil rights leader who advocates for the justice of Japanese Americans. Takei evolves into a

resilient, determined man whose voice is powerful to the oppressed community he grew up in.

At the beginning of the graphic memoir, news of the Pearl Harbor attack was being

delivered on the radio. The Mayor of Los Angeles, Fletcher Bowron, testifies before congress

about the Japanese Americans and the measures to take against them in order to ensure the safety

of the American people. He describes them as “Japanese and nothing else” (21). They are not to

be trusted and are posed as a threat to U.S citizens. The executive order is shortly passed after an

immense amount of pressure is put onto the President. Those who were not affected by the
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executive order were blind to the pain and blatant racism that Japanese Americans are

experiencing. The article, “The Alchemy of Suffering” by Matthieu Ricard, speaks of the three

types of suffering: visible suffering, hidden suffering and invisible suffering. Ricard says,

“Invisible suffering is the hardest to distinguish because it stems from the blindness of our

minds...” (36). One’s suffering could be overlooked or even justified if people are ignorant to the

situation. Those who pushed for Executive Order 9066, are victims of invisible suffering. They

are blinded from the ignorance and selfishness of their own mind. Most Americans called for the

relocation of Japanese Americans because they see them as a threat, nothing else. They want to

ensure their own safety and by doing so, they are pressuring their congressmen and President for

the executive order. Their actions cause pain to those who are also citizens of the United States

but are overlooked because of their Japanese heritage. In the graphic novel, Takei says,

“Memory is a willy keeper of the past…usually dependable, but at times, deceptive” (50). Takei

advocates for the justice of Japanese Americans because he knows that the only way to prevent

history from repeating itself is if we stay aware of these injustices and acts of oppression.

The wartime incarceration is morally wrong and causes long term trauma to Japanese

Americans. They are forced to abruptly leave their homes and belongings. They are only allowed

to take what they can carry. There is no information being told to those who are leaving their

homes. There is a lack of information regarding how long they are going to be gone and what the

government plans to do. Many Japanese Americans recall feeling shocked, worried and scared.

First, they are sent to a temporary detention center where they sleep in horse pens and then are

relocated to the more permanent camps. The camps are surrounded by barbed wire fences and

armed guards. Most families live in confined spaces, eat and bathe in communal facilities. This

disrupted the traditional Japanese family relationships because the responsibilities were stripped
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from the parents. One of the many detrimental things to happen within the camps was a

government “loyalty questionnaire” (115). All inmates who are 17 years or older are required to

answer two questions regarding their willingness to serve in the U.S military, and claim their

loyalty to the U.S. Most saw an opportunity to affirm their loyalty, but other inmates believed

that it made no sense to pledge their loyalty to a country who stripped them of their rights.

Others responded ‘no’ to one or both questions because they felt their actions portrayed

patriotism in a different way but instead, they were labeled as “no-no’s” (115). Many Japanese

Americans were ostracized for decades after the war because they were ‘un-American’ for not

pledging their loyalty. Although their perspective has been acknowledged, they still suffer the

indifferences the incarceration brought. Many feel a sense of shame and humiliation. There was a

sense of self-blame and some even felt responsible for what had happened (Nagata 358). Takei

spoke in his memoir, that those who feel shame should not feel that way for something that

wasn’t their fault. Instead, the shame should fall on the perpetrators. In 1981, Takei was one of

the hundreds who testified before the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of

Civilians. The hearings led to the conclusion that the incarceration, on behalf of the U.S, was

racially prejudice and detrimental to Japanese Americans proving that fighting for what you

believe in can sprout change. The apparent trauma and struggle led to the public apology from

the United States and reparations of $20,000 to those affected. Not only did they suffer while the

camps were active but even after they left the camps. They were left jobless and without homes.

They struggled finding jobs in a country that had locked up their own citizens. It took those

brave enough, like Takei, to share their stories, to make the U.S acknowledge their wrongdoing.

The trauma of the unjust treatment would continue to haunt Takei but later, prompt him

to act upon the suffering he went through. In the article, “What Suffering Does” by David
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Brooks, it states that suffering could be destructive and harmful to us but other times it could

carve a pavement for change. Brooks says, “Some people double down on vulnerability. They

hurl themselves deeper and gratefully into their art, loved ones and commitments” (287). Even

though we sometimes can’t control our suffering, we still act out on it and some people respond

to it positively. Suffering doesn’t necessarily heal us, but it changes us and sometimes for the

better. When Takei was older, he grew closer with his father and would discuss what had

happened in the internment camps. The conversations would fill in some gaps that had escaped

him. Their conversations were very inciteful and one of them even sparked his interest in the

democratic process. The seeds of activism were planted into him through his father. He learned

to be engaged in the political process to make positive change. One of the many things he

participated in was a musical play on Broadway called, Allegiance. The play brought the story of

the internment camps onto the stage for a wider audience to watch. During its run on Broadway,

“the musical was seen by just over 120,000 audience members…roughly the same number of

Japanese Americans who were incarcerated” (190). It paid tribute to those who were affected by

the camps personally and educated those who weren’t aware of such suffering. Bringing the raw

story of the interment camps to stage was one of the few steps Takei took to spread awareness.

Japanese internment camps were a result of fear due to the Japanese aircraft attack on the

U.S. Naval Force located at Pearl Harbor. After the attack, there was a growing fear that

Japanese American citizens could act as spies and therefore risk the safety of the Nation. This led

to the decision to detain and send Japanese Americans to internment camps. This attack

prompted the U.S to enter the war causing many casualties. The U.S government feared another

attack, so they took drastic measures and passed the Executive Order 9066. From the

government’s viewpoint at that time, given the circumstances they believe that national security
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was more important than these individuals civil rights. This was presented as a security measure

for the countries safety, but in reality, the U.S Government has had a long history of races and

discriminatory behavior against immigrants including policies that have affected Asian

immigrants since the late 18th hundreds (Ray). Race-based traumas occurred long before the time

of their incarceration but that does not mean that the event did not have significant impact on

them. The U.S government’s unjust incarceration stripped Japanese Americans of their civil

rights and treated them as the enemy even though they were just as much of a citizen as anyone

else from a different background. Cultural traumas emerged after the war ended because

adjusting to a new lifestyle was difficult due to their circumstances. Many were homeless and did

not have jobs for months and even years. When there are activist leaders such as George Takei,

speaking about the injustices that occurred in the U.S, only then can people become aware of the

past and try to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

There has always been a conversation regarding the incarceration of Japanese Americans

and whether it is justified or not. Some argue that the relocation of Japanese Americans is a

necessity due to the political climate. Also, events such as the Pearl Harbor attack should have

been enough of a reason to incarcerate them if their people were behind the attacks. Moving

them away from the rest of the population who are not of the same heritage would ensure the

safety of the American people. The Japanese internment was justified because of the dangers that

America could have faced during World War II. Although, the entire series of events was a hate

crime enacted by the Government. The people did also push for the Act but only because of the

way Japanese Americans were being portrayed through the media. Many of these individuals and

families had grown up in the U.S and accumulated to the culture that some may even consider

themselves U.S citizens. For them to be detained is a huge betrayal on their behalf and they also
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lost their sense of belonging. Placing Japanese Americans in interment camps was unjust and

wrong under the eyes of the law. They deserve just as much rights as American citizens because

they are citizens of the U.S. It is wrong to incarcerate a group of people solely based on their

heritage.

Takei grew up in a time where he was not considered a U.S citizen but an enemy of the

country. He grew up enduring the mistakes of those who were to blind and arrogant to the

situation. He and his family were given no choice but to live under these circumstances and

follow the Executive Order 9066 that was imposed on all Japanese Americans, citizens or not.

The struggle that his parents and those around him went through was apparent to those affected

but could not be understood by those who didn’t go through it. Along the way, he had seen the

importance of being involved in the democratic process and had taken the liberty of spreading

his story to those who will listen. Takei is an actor, activists and writer. He uses his platform to

make sure that justice is brought to those who can’t speak up for themselves. Takei continues to

be a powerful voice ranging from his community to others.

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Works Cited

Brooks, David. “What Suffering Does.” Pursuing Happiness: a Bedford Spotlight Reader,

Bedford/St. Martins, a Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016, pp. 287.

Nagata, Donna K., et al. “Processing Cultural Trauma: Intergenerational Effects of the Japanese

American Incarceration.” Journal of Social Issues, vol. 71, no. 2, June 2015, pp. 356–

370. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/josi.12115.

Ray, Michael. “Executive Order 9066.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica,

Inc., 19 June 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Executive-Order-9066.

Ricard, Matthieu. “The Alchemy of Suffering.” Pursuing Happiness: a Bedford Spotlight

Reader, Bedford/St. Martins, a Macmillan Education Imprint, 2016, pp. 36.

Takei, George/ Eisinger, Justin/ Scott, Steven/ Becker, Harmony (ILT). They Called Us Enemy.

Random House Inc, 2019.