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jiujensu's reviews
454 reviews
Last Witnesses: Reflections on the Wartime Internment of Japanese Americans by Erica Harth
5.0
There's so much. The intro starts with the early 2000s, when it was written. These camps were referenced after 9/11. Bush & Co wanted to round up up Arabs and others they deemed disloyal. I had almost thought i was remembering this wrong the way people describe it now (they are SURE they and all journalists opposed war and protested vigorously early on - that wasn't exactly so... until later...). They've forgotten the vengeance of the population and complicity around war, the hatred against Muslims and anyone they thought looked Arab.
I didn't realize that Japanese Americans tended to downplay their imprisonment because it wasn't extermination camps in Europe - a familiar thing we do with trauma.
One reason why we need to remember:
"Thus, while concentration camps and new prisoners of the home front may seem an impossibility today, especially in light of the end of the Cold War and the elimination of the Communist menace, the danger of a repeat of the Second World War Japanese American experience remains. The fluid transfer of guilt by association from a racial to an ideological group in the 1950's suggests the readiness of Americans to find new enemies in times of perceived emergency. Given this predisposition, the repeal of Title II in 1971 and the caveat placed in Section 4001 of Title 18 of the United States Code are but poor protection should a new and serious threat to internal security, either real of imagined, arise in the future."
You'd think after this, if we cared anything for the values we claim, we'd have shored this up and made it impossible. But we have not.
I didn't realize that Japanese Americans tended to downplay their imprisonment because it wasn't extermination camps in Europe - a familiar thing we do with trauma.
One reason why we need to remember:
"Thus, while concentration camps and new prisoners of the home front may seem an impossibility today, especially in light of the end of the Cold War and the elimination of the Communist menace, the danger of a repeat of the Second World War Japanese American experience remains. The fluid transfer of guilt by association from a racial to an ideological group in the 1950's suggests the readiness of Americans to find new enemies in times of perceived emergency. Given this predisposition, the repeal of Title II in 1971 and the caveat placed in Section 4001 of Title 18 of the United States Code are but poor protection should a new and serious threat to internal security, either real of imagined, arise in the future."
You'd think after this, if we cared anything for the values we claim, we'd have shored this up and made it impossible. But we have not.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
A four generation story that includes (i can only imagine) composite characters of people the author met in Japan. Coincidentally, I'm reading a book about Japanese internment in the US and this book provides a representation of the other side of that coin - Japanese colonialism and their abhorrent treatment of Koreans.
I keep looking for patterns or meaning. "A woman's lot is suffering" keeps coming up in almost every story. Also there was a pattern of the futility or destructiveness of being governed by things you can't control - ethnicity, being born out of wedlock, having "gangster" blood. In that way, this was a really really sad series of connected stories.
I keep looking for patterns or meaning. "A woman's lot is suffering" keeps coming up in almost every story. Also there was a pattern of the futility or destructiveness of being governed by things you can't control - ethnicity, being born out of wedlock, having "gangster" blood. In that way, this was a really really sad series of connected stories.
Night Wherever We Go by Tracey Rose Peyton
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
One of the better historical fictions I've read. Things like this should replace those things people hold up as "classic" that glorify slavery, slaveholders, and white supremacy. Who wants to know what those old white men and women think? You get a far more complete picture of the time period when the story is concerned mostly with those who endured lifelong punishment for existing.
Eleanor Roosevelt's My Day: The post-war years, her acclaimed columns, 1945-1952 by Rochelle Chadakoff
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
I really enjoyed this glimpse of Mrs. Roosevelt, first lady of the world, as she's called. This quirky column is sort of an ancient Twitter feed as she talks about family, personal beliefs and political observations.
I appreciate her dedication in word and work to human rights above country. Granted, she's a little conservative here and there and awkward about other cultures, but she's surprisingly progressive for her day on a lot of things. Her commentary and concern about McCarthyism could be printed today and be just as timely.
I appreciate her dedication in word and work to human rights above country. Granted, she's a little conservative here and there and awkward about other cultures, but she's surprisingly progressive for her day on a lot of things. Her commentary and concern about McCarthyism could be printed today and be just as timely.
Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush: Secret History of the Far North by Lael Morgan
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Lots of really great stories/biographies about the women who worked in the far north in a profession that still struggles for mainstream legitimacy or respectability. In the early times, the women made their own money and often owned hotels and shops among the non-sexworkers. Miners often left their gold with them for safekeeping. It seems their district gave to the town and the town gave to them after fires and other tragedies. Maybe they were better off and more accepted than today's sex workers - in some ways. It's complicated.
This is more about those following the gold rush who pushed in to Yukon and Alaska Territory and staked claims, so unfortunately you won't get any clear idea about how the native people fared. I would like to read those accounts though.
This is more about those following the gold rush who pushed in to Yukon and Alaska Territory and staked claims, so unfortunately you won't get any clear idea about how the native people fared. I would like to read those accounts though.
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
I loved this podcast. The book has the same quirky-funny-spooky quality. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I like it a lot for reasons I can't quite explain well. It's a little like, though not exactly like, Vonnegut - overly simple sentences, but with layered meaning and a story that manages to unfold and resolve without trying too hard.
One of the first little Vonnegut-esque tricks is Diane's teenage son who is described as able to take the form of a bunch of different objects. She then says people will say he's changed so much since they last saw him. That's the best I can describe the layers. It's fun.
There are breaks in the story for Cecil's radio broadcast, just like the podcast. On the podcast, The Weather is a break for one song. Traffic is clearly not traffic. This juxtaposition is one example. You have to figure out the rules of the world are and what the new meanings of words are, but it's more absurd than most fiction I read. It's a good time.
One of the first little Vonnegut-esque tricks is Diane's teenage son who is described as able to take the form of a bunch of different objects. She then says people will say he's changed so much since they last saw him. That's the best I can describe the layers. It's fun.
There are breaks in the story for Cecil's radio broadcast, just like the podcast. On the podcast, The Weather is a break for one song. Traffic is clearly not traffic. This juxtaposition is one example. You have to figure out the rules of the world are and what the new meanings of words are, but it's more absurd than most fiction I read. It's a good time.
Behind Blue Curtains: A True Crime Memoir of an Amish Woman's Survival, Escape, and Pursuit of Justice by Lizzy Hershberger, Molly Eagan
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking by Mehdi Hasan
medium-paced
5.0
I thought it was going to be more of a clever memoir title rather than a how to, but it was fine.
He's one of my favorite interviewers for holding power to account, advocating for human rights (when even liberals fail) and making bullsh*t artists squirm. He is not a humble guy in this volume (which is a little annoying), but I didn't read it looking for that characteristic. He's good at what he does - winning arguments - and he's in the right profession.
It was a decent read. One could very likely use this as a guide to practice and brush up on your debate skills - especially if you practiced a lot and had time and a team of researchers. There are lots of good anecdotes in there and I learned more about him, which was what drew me to the book more than the title.
The title is depressing because it reminds me that we often make everything a competition even when it need not be or would be better for all involved if we had less domination in human relationships. But, yeah, it'd be nice to call on these skills to stop the disingenuous and liars in their tracks on occasion.
He's one of my favorite interviewers for holding power to account, advocating for human rights (when even liberals fail) and making bullsh*t artists squirm. He is not a humble guy in this volume (which is a little annoying), but I didn't read it looking for that characteristic. He's good at what he does - winning arguments - and he's in the right profession.
It was a decent read. One could very likely use this as a guide to practice and brush up on your debate skills - especially if you practiced a lot and had time and a team of researchers. There are lots of good anecdotes in there and I learned more about him, which was what drew me to the book more than the title.
The title is depressing because it reminds me that we often make everything a competition even when it need not be or would be better for all involved if we had less domination in human relationships. But, yeah, it'd be nice to call on these skills to stop the disingenuous and liars in their tracks on occasion.