Helpful Score: 1
This book is an important record of a shameful period of US history, where many thousands of US citizens and legal residents were imprisoned and deprived of their property for no other reason than racism (how many times has this happened in the US so far...?).
You didn't learn about the internment camps for Japanese Americans if you were "educated" in US public schools, so pick up this well-written graphic novel to learn about what happened from the point of view of a man who was there and lived through it with his family when he was a child.
If you're thinking the author's name sounds familiar, you're right: this is the same George Takei who famously appears in Star Trek as Sulu. It's fortunate he had such strong and supportive parents, or the trauma he and his family went through could have destroyed his creative capabilities and deprived the world of a great actor and, later, activist. As it was, those hard times strengthened him and helped make him an admirable person.
The book offers several perspectives on the events of the 1940s: George's own childhood memories, the memories shared with him when he was older by his parents, and a broader perspective from news archives of those difficult times. This paints an immersive story for the reader, helping bring history vividly to life. George does not hesitate to name names of those who either stood up for justice or who behaved badly at the time, and I personally really appreciate his frankness in that regard. People who wield power should be publicly acknowledged and held accountable for their actions, whether they use it for good or evil.
Very remarkable to me is George's unswerving faith in the possibility of a just political system in the United States, even after all he witnessed in his life demonstrating enormous corruption and failure in that very system. George comes across as a true patriot and his book is well worth a read for anyone who wishes to avoid repeating the pain and suffering of the past.
4.5 stars.
You didn't learn about the internment camps for Japanese Americans if you were "educated" in US public schools, so pick up this well-written graphic novel to learn about what happened from the point of view of a man who was there and lived through it with his family when he was a child.
If you're thinking the author's name sounds familiar, you're right: this is the same George Takei who famously appears in Star Trek as Sulu. It's fortunate he had such strong and supportive parents, or the trauma he and his family went through could have destroyed his creative capabilities and deprived the world of a great actor and, later, activist. As it was, those hard times strengthened him and helped make him an admirable person.
The book offers several perspectives on the events of the 1940s: George's own childhood memories, the memories shared with him when he was older by his parents, and a broader perspective from news archives of those difficult times. This paints an immersive story for the reader, helping bring history vividly to life. George does not hesitate to name names of those who either stood up for justice or who behaved badly at the time, and I personally really appreciate his frankness in that regard. People who wield power should be publicly acknowledged and held accountable for their actions, whether they use it for good or evil.
Very remarkable to me is George's unswerving faith in the possibility of a just political system in the United States, even after all he witnessed in his life demonstrating enormous corruption and failure in that very system. George comes across as a true patriot and his book is well worth a read for anyone who wishes to avoid repeating the pain and suffering of the past.
4.5 stars.
