They Called Us Enemy

This was a wonderfully presented graphic novel that told George Takei's personal story of his experiences at Japanese internment camps during WWII. It was also a memoir of George Takei's life after the war. The story from young George's perspective was really affective. As a parent with young children, it was especially impactful to read about how the children viewed the experiences with innocence, many times thinking things were fun adventures. And how much the parents worked to keep it that way.

This is a subject that's really underrepresented in US history. In my high school classes in the late 1990's in California, it wasn't hidden or ignored completely, but it was kind of a side note. I remember one conversation about it in class. We asked our teacher why they would do this to Japanese Americans, but not German Americans. I've been told a family story that my 2x Great Grandfather was German, never learned to read English and received the newspaper in German. He lived in Iowa. During WWII he had to register as a “resident alien”, but that was it. No one labeled him an enemy or relocated his family.

These recent-history stories are so important, and the personal memoir is so impactful. They Called Us Enemy continued past World War II, and included stories from George Takei's life including meeting and marching with Martin Luther King Jr, and being cast on Star Trek.