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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This book gets to the core of the Asian American identity crisis: you can be American or your something else, but not both.
I was initially surprised to learn that the novel was not immediately widely read. I think it can be easy to forget that the actions of no-no boys and other dissidents like Fred Korematsu, which are now heralded as courageous, created a lot of controversy and pain points, even a decade after they happened. And clearly, as the book laid out, they were not even always received warmly in their own community. The complex set of attitudes towards the war, postwar patriotism, the trauma of internment and alienation, and desire to demonstrate belonging that the book itself addressed probably contributed to why it wasn't received in it's own time.
I thought Ichiro's mother was a fascinating character and brought a lot of dimension to the story. I am so curious to learn more about if the denialism of Japan's loss really was a widespread belief amongst the Japanese community in America.
"I never quite thought about it that way."
"That way about what?"
"About their having nothing to live for except making enough money so that they could go back to the old country and be amongst their kind and know a little peace and happiness."
I was initially surprised to learn that the novel was not immediately widely read. I think it can be easy to forget that the actions of no-no boys and other dissidents like Fred Korematsu, which are now heralded as courageous, created a lot of controversy and pain points, even a decade after they happened. And clearly, as the book laid out, they were not even always received warmly in their own community. The complex set of attitudes towards the war, postwar patriotism, the trauma of internment and alienation, and desire to demonstrate belonging that the book itself addressed probably contributed to why it wasn't received in it's own time.
I thought Ichiro's mother was a fascinating character and brought a lot of dimension to the story. I am so curious to learn more about if the denialism of Japan's loss really was a widespread belief amongst the Japanese community in America.
"I never quite thought about it that way."
"That way about what?"
"About their having nothing to live for except making enough money so that they could go back to the old country and be amongst their kind and know a little peace and happiness."
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you were the son of parents who immigrated to another country with the sole objective of saving enough money to be able to return to a life of ease in their home country, would your loyalty lie with the country of your birth or with the country your parents consider home? What if the country of your birth had effectively rejected your citizenship by herding your entire community into concentration camps because they thought your loyalty was suspect- would you then be willing to join the army? If the two countries you grew up considering your own were at war with each other, would you be willing to take up arms for one country, and potentially find yourself pointing a gun at the other country you consider your own.
John Okada's book is the story of a young man who spent two years in a concentration camp, and another two years in prison because he refused to join the US Army. To the Japanese-American community which is trying to establish its patriotic credentials, he is an object of anger and hate. They shun him because they see him as someone who betrayed the country and the community. To his mother, a staunch Japanese nationalist who refuses to accept that Japan lost war, and others like her, he is a true patriot who refused to sell out. Caught between the two, the young man questions his own actions. He realises that he doesn't identify as a Japanese, but he also realises that the country of his birth will never accept him as an American; he knows he will always remain in the no-man's land where he is too American to be Japanese, and too Japanese to be American.
The power of the book lies in the fact that the author represents multiple viewpoints impartially and with empathy. Each of the characters you are drawn to realises that there is no single *right* course of action which a person could have taken- every action (or inaction) involves trade-offs.
The book was written and released in the decade after the War- much before the world was ready for a book of this kind. The author did not get the acknowledgement the book deserves, and he died a fairly disappointed man. It is only now that we are beginning to acknowledge the truth contained in stories like this on.
The book raises questions about patriotism, citizenship and duty, but it offers no answers. Because the one question that the book avoided asking has no answer- what if Japan had won the war and not the US; would today's traitor be considered a patriot, and today's patriot a traitor?
John Okada's book is the story of a young man who spent two years in a concentration camp, and another two years in prison because he refused to join the US Army. To the Japanese-American community which is trying to establish its patriotic credentials, he is an object of anger and hate. They shun him because they see him as someone who betrayed the country and the community. To his mother, a staunch Japanese nationalist who refuses to accept that Japan lost war, and others like her, he is a true patriot who refused to sell out. Caught between the two, the young man questions his own actions. He realises that he doesn't identify as a Japanese, but he also realises that the country of his birth will never accept him as an American; he knows he will always remain in the no-man's land where he is too American to be Japanese, and too Japanese to be American.
The power of the book lies in the fact that the author represents multiple viewpoints impartially and with empathy. Each of the characters you are drawn to realises that there is no single *right* course of action which a person could have taken- every action (or inaction) involves trade-offs.
The book was written and released in the decade after the War- much before the world was ready for a book of this kind. The author did not get the acknowledgement the book deserves, and he died a fairly disappointed man. It is only now that we are beginning to acknowledge the truth contained in stories like this on.
The book raises questions about patriotism, citizenship and duty, but it offers no answers. Because the one question that the book avoided asking has no answer- what if Japan had won the war and not the US; would today's traitor be considered a patriot, and today's patriot a traitor?
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 ⭐️
had to read this book for my american lit class. i didn’t mind it, it was alright. it highlights the racism that japanese-american people went through during WWII and how choosing to not fight it the war could really effect you in society.
had to read this book for my american lit class. i didn’t mind it, it was alright. it highlights the racism that japanese-american people went through during WWII and how choosing to not fight it the war could really effect you in society.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Truly enlightening on post-WWII circumstances for Japanese Americans. Wish there were more women though.
dark
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated