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They Called Us Enemy follows five-year-old George Takei and his family as, in the months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, they are incarcerated in a Japanese internment camp. The graphic memoir details George’s personal experiences of growing up in internment camps, as well as the larger story of Japanese internment in the United States and the policies that enabled it. The story of Japanese internment poses a challenge to foundational American myths: that the nation is welcoming to immigrants, that the constitution protects vulnerable citizens, and that all Americans are entitled to liberty and due process. But even as he is deprived of his rights, George’s father, Daddy, remains optimistic about the future of American democracy, citing its potential to grow into its own ideals—especially if Americans remain civically engaged and vigorously protest when the nation is doing something wrong. Thus, They Called Us Enemy suggests that while the ideals of American democracy are easy to corrupt and manipulate, democracy is also a system that, thanks to engaged citizens who agitate for change, can always be improved. To Takei, no matter its wrongs, the country is still worth fighting for.
They Called Us Enemy makes it clear that Japanese internment betrays democratic ideals, such as the right to due process and equal protection under the law. In the days and weeks after Pearl Harbor, government officials—from mayors and military personnel, all the way up to President Roosevelt—actively stoked fears that Japanese Americans were conspiring against the U.S. This wasn’t at all true, but these government officials used racist rhetoric to justify seizing Japanese Americans’ assets and, ultimately, incarcerating them in the internment camps. This is a major departure from the country’s democratic ideals. The right to due process, simply put, means that a person can’t be deprived of liberty or property without just cause and approval from the courts. For Japanese Americans, this means that it should’ve been illegal to seize their assets and incarcerate them in internment camps without any evidence that they’d done something wrong. Equal protection, meanwhile, means that the state has to treat one person the same as it would treat any other person in a given situation—so targeting a single racial group, as the government did during World War II, should also have been illegal. The fact that internment happened at all, then, suggests that it’s not hard—and, perhaps, is shockingly easy—to betray American democratic ideals. Each of the bills and executive orders that enabled internment went through the proper legal channels, showing that these legal channels alone aren’t enough to guard against abuse.
Rather, the memoir makes the case that in order to maintain and protect American democracy, citizens must be involved in the process and protest when they see abuses taking place. Throughout the memoir, George Takei shows that protest can take many different forms. Some people, like Mama (and to a degree, Daddy) protest by making their lives in the camp as beautiful and homey as possible. This is why Mama smuggles her sewing machine into the camps. The government wants to dehumanize and demoralize Japanese Americans, but by keeping her family’s spirits up, Mama resists the government’s actions. Other Japanese Americans protest in ways that are perhaps more conventional. For instance, when the government distributes a loyalty questionnaire, every adult in the internment camps has to decide how to answer two questions in particular, one that asks whether the respondent is willing to serve in the military and one that asks respondents if they’re willing to swear loyalty to the United States—and give up any loyalty to the Japanese Empire. George notes that the questions’ premises are faulty, exclusionary, and ridiculous, as they ask Americans to serve a country that treats them like criminals and assume that anyone of Japanese ancestry has “racial loyalty” to Japan. While some answer yes-yes to the questions and serve in the military, others like George’s parents answer no-no to protest the questions’ premise. For the Takei family, this lands them in the highest security internment camp—and some young men go to prison for their refusal to serve. This draws on a long tradition of Americans going to jail for standing up for their rights, something that George touches on later in the memoir when he meets the civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. This is all in addition to the various marches and protests that crop up in the camps at various points. With this, George Takei shows that those who were interned didn’t sit quietly and simply accept the government’s discriminatory treatment. Through various methods, Japanese Americans fought for their rights and made others recognize them as Americans.
But despite chronicling the nation’s abuses, They Called Us Enemy also shows that what makes American democracy special is its ability and willingness to right past wrongs and continue to move the country forward. While George details several of these improvements in the memoir, something that affects him personally is the fact that, beginning in the early 1980s, Congress began to investigate the internment camps. In 1988, Congress decided that the government would issue formal apologies and $20,000 to every Japanese American who was incarcerated. This, George argues, is proof that the U.S. can live up to its ideals and deal effectively with its mistakes. And this is why George—and Daddy, up until his death—remain firm in their support for the democratic system. They acknowledge that the people who make up the government are fallible and can make grave mistakes. But They Called Us Enemy ends on a hopeful note, one that encourages readers to believe in the U.S.’s ability to continually improve. It suggests that what sets the American system apart, and what makes it great, is its ability to self-correct and its willingness to admit and then right wrongs.
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American Democracy and Civic Engagement Quotes in They Called Us Enemy
Below you will find the important quotes in They Called Us Enemy related to the theme of American Democracy and Civic Engagement.
They Called Us Enemy Quotes
“In the meantime, we, the people, are already prepared for action.”
That same day the president signed a proclamation declaring that every adult Japanese citizen inside the U.S. was now an “alien enemy” and must follow strict regulations.
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On the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt addresses the nation, saying that the American people are prepared for action. But later in the day, President Roosevelt declares that all Japanese Americans are “alien enemies.” It’s interesting to compare the difference in word choice between Eleanor Roosevelt and FDR. In Mrs. Roosevelt’s address, she makes it seem like the United States—and all of its people—are ready to unite behind the war effort and ensure that the country emerges from the conflict victorious. Saying “we the people” like this would, at first glance, suggest that she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non in
In California at that time, the single most popular political position was “lock up the Japs.” The attorney general of California, Earl Warren, decided to get in front of that issue.
He wanted to run for governor... and would do anything to get that office. He saw the division his rhetoric caused.
He knew that he was talking about a hundred thousand people who had not been charged with any crime. But he made an amazing statement for not just any lawyer... but the top lawyer of the state.
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In the days and weeks after Pearl Harbor, the attorney general of California, Earl Warren, spreads anti-Japanese hysteria, believing that it will help him later become California’s governor. Again, looking at language is important. The phrase “lock up the Japs” refers, presumably, to anyone of Japanese ancestry, whether they’re citizens of Japan (like Daddy, for instance) or whether they’re actually American citizens, like George and his siblings. Essentially, this phrase shoves all these different people who share one simple characteristic—having Japanese heritage—into a single category. This dehumanizes them and, later, makes it easier to justify their incarceration in internment camps. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate e
On February 19, 1942, seventy-four days after Pearl Harbor... he issued Executive Order 9066.
The order never used the words “Japanese” or “camps”—it authorized the military to declare areas “from which any or all persons may be excluded,” and to provide “transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations” from persons excluded from these areas.
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After more than two months of rising anti-Japanese hysteria, President Roosevelt signs Executive Order 9066. This creates the legal framework for the internment camps. As George explains, the language of 9066 was chosen very carefully. By not using words like “Japanese” and not saying “camps” outright, it’s possible to read the text of the executive order and think that it makes sense. It’s not exclusionary upfront—it just gives the military permission to be exclusionary. Further, there’s no elaboration on what “transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations” actually means. George goes on to show readers that the military did the bare Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti ni
Each family was assigned a horse stall still pungent with the stink of manure. As a kid, I couldn’t grasp the injustice of the situation.
But for my parents, it was a devastating blow. They had worked so hard to buy a two-bedroom house and raise a family in Los Angeles... now we were crammed into a single, smelly horse stall. It was a degrading, humiliating, painful experience.
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When the Takei family first arrives at the Santa Anita Racetrack, they’re assigned a horse stall to live in. At this point, George is only five years old. To him, sleeping in a stall is an adventure—it’s new, it’s different, and it’s exciting. But this reflects his innocence as a young child; he doesn’t fully grasp what’s going on, why he’s even here, and why being forced to sleep in a stall isn’t actually something to be excited about in this situation. As adults who are more aware of the political situation, Mama and Daddy are aware of the fact Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qu
As a teenager, I had many after-dinner discussions with my father... discussing everything from the government’s forced incarcerations of Japanese Americans... to politics.
He taught me the power of American democracy—the people’s democracy.
“People can do great things, George. They can come up with noble, shining ideals.
“But people are also fallible human beings, and we know they made a terrible mistake.”
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George Takei explains that he spoke often with his father about internment and democracy when he was a teenager. As Daddy speaks, it becomes clear how highly he thinks of American democracy. Though George Takei doesn’t elaborate on this idea until later in the memoir, he and Daddy both firmly believe in the ideals of American democracy because, as Daddy says here, it’s “the people’s democracy.” This means that regular people can work together to create change in their country. And working together, they can hold the country accountable to its ideals and change millions of people’s lives for the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore labo
Mama began the impossible work of making a home for us out of the rough-hewn single room.
She ran up curtains made from government surplus fabrics.
Using strips of discarded rags, she braided together colorful floor mats.
About the only thing Mama didn’t have to do was cook.
But to her it was no relief. The kitchen was just one more aspect of caring for her family that she was denied.
One more loss. I realize that besides comforting us... perhaps everything she did was also her own statement of defiance.
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After the family arrives at Camp Rohwer and Mama reveals that she smuggled in her sewing machine, she throws herself into making Rohwer feel like home to her family. Mama’s sewing machine is a symbol for her defiance and her willingness to protest. It’s not allowed in the camps—but Mama smuggled it in anyway, knowing that without it she’d have a much harder time making the accommodations at Rohwer feel homey and comfortable. Indeed, the descriptions of her sewing projects make it clear just how essential her sewing machine was to making the rough-hewn room livable. Taking on these projects Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem
There were fishermen and farmers, shopkeepers and professionals. We were so diverse, all so different. And yet, we were the same. We were all Japanese Americans and we were all in Block 6 at Camp Rohwer. That was our common denominator. Daddy felt keenly that we needed to forge a community together.
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As the family settles in at Camp Rohwer, Daddy throws himself into helping out in the community—and specifically, into creating a robust community that can withstand the cruelty of internment. All the different professions that Takei describes make the point that when it came to internment, the government didn’t care about anything other than a person’s ancestry. It didn’t matter whether a person was a highly paid professional, a struggling farmer, or something in between—because of their Japanese ancestry, all of those people were interned together. In this sense, this reflects the government’s racism and habit of flattening the Japanese Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui
From the moment the war began, our loyalty as Americans was constantly under suspicion.
General John L. DeWitt, the commanding general of the western theater of operation:
“A Jap is a Jap... It makes no difference whether he is theoretically an American citizen, he is still a Japanese.”
Senator Tom Stewart (D-TN):
“They cannot be assimilated. There is not a single Japanese in this country who would not stab you in the back.”
Never mind that in the early days of the war, Japanese Americans showed up in great numbers to register for military service.
This was an act of patriotism, but it was met with a slap in the face. They were denied military service and categorized as 4-C: enemy aliens.
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Takei explains the circumstances that led to FDR choosing to allow Japanese Americans to serve in the military, which leads into his explanation of the loyalty questionnaire. The loyalty questionnaire was intended to judge whether Japanese Americans were actually loyal to the U.S.—and consequently, whether they should be allowed to serve. These quotations from General DeWitt and Senator Tom Stewart illustrate the kind of racist rhetoric that was circulating at this time. To white Americans, and particularly those in power, it was important to make sure that the public believed that anyone of Japanese ancestry couldn’t actually be American—and for Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate lab
Question 27 wanted us to pledge our lives for a country that had upended our families and put us behind barbed-wire fences.
Question 28 rested on a false premise: that we all had a racial allegiance to the emperor of Japan. To answer “yes” would be to agree that we had such a loyalty to give up. Yes or no, either response would be used to justify our wrongful imprisonment—as if they’d been right to call us “enemy aliens” and lock us up in the first place.
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Takei explains for readers what the two most controversial questions on the loyalty questionnaire were really about: the government’s racist preconceptions about Japanese Americans. Previously, Takei explained that many Japanese American men attempted to enlist when the war began, but the military refused to allow them to join. And now, several years into the war, those Japanese Americans who once wanted to serve are imprisoned in internment camps after having their assets and homes seized by the government. The government is asking a lot of the Japanese Americans—it’s asking them to essentially ignore the government’s racist, exclusionary policies and promise Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex conseq
As President Clinton said that day, “Rarely has a nation been so well-served by a people it has so ill-treated.” These brave soldiers clung to their belief in the shining ideals of their country.
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George Takei recalls an awards ceremony in 2000 in which President Clinton upgraded members of the all-Nisei 442nd division’s military honors to the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor of the country. Prior to this, Takei explains that the 442nd was able to rescue another battalion that seemed impossible to save, thereby proving their bravery and their willingness to serve their country. President Clinton’s statement acknowledges outright that the United States made a mistake, first in denying Japanese Americans the right to serve in the military in the first place, and then by using the loyalty questionnaire to force Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic
Though they responded in different ways—caring for their families...
Fighting on the battlefield...
Or serving time for their principles—all these Japanese Americans showed incredible courage and heroism.
They proved that being American is not just for some people. They all made difficult choices to demonstrate their patriotism to this country even when it rejected them.
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After detailing the many different responses to the loyalty questionnaire, Takei makes the case that however people responded, they contributed in some way to proving that Japanese Americans are, in fact, Americans. This gets at the memoir’s insistence that protest can take many forms, and that it’s essential to protest in a variety of different ways in order to create change. Insisting that caring for their families was a way to protest validates the experiences of people like Mama. Mama, as a woman, couldn’t serve in the military anyway. But by caring for her family, keeping her children happy and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui
During out after-dinner discussions, Daddy would reveal more details about that time in our lives... filling in some of the gaps that escaped me.
“It was a demonstration in protest of the arrest of a man accused of being a radical.”
“Was he?”
“No! But regardless of whether he was or not... it was important to exercise our right to assemble. Send a message that we were united as a group and opposed to their actions.”
It dawned on me in that moment... I had been participating in democracy as far back as I can remember. That is the strength of our system. Good people organized, speaking loudly and clearly. Engaged in the democratic process.
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After teenaged George recalls the frightening experience of being separated from Daddy during a protest and almost being run over by a Jeep, he and Daddy talk it over. Daddy is able to help George make sense of an experience that was extremely traumatizing—and put it in a broader context. As Daddy speaks to George, it’s possible to see that, in some ways, not much has changed in the way that Daddy speaks to his children. Just as he did when he spoke to them in the camp about being kind, not making assumptions, and not spreading rumors, here he Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis i
I had an unsettling feeling...
“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America...”
That her calling me “Jap boy” had something to do with our time in camp.
“...and to the republic for which it stands...”
I was old enough by then to understand that camp was something like jail...but could not fully grasp what we had done to be sent there.
The guilt which surrounded our internment made me feel like I deserved to be called that nasty epithet.
“One nation, indivisible...
“with liberty and justice for all.”
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One day, as George and his classmates recite the pledge of allegiance in school, George wonders why his teacher, Mrs. Rugen, called him the slur “Jap boy.” George is in fourth grade by this point, and his understanding of internment is beginning to change. While he considered internment normal only a few years ago, he’s no doubt starting to realize that his classmates (many of whom are Latinx, given that his family lives in a Mexican barrio at this point) didn’t also experience internment during the war. He feels, in other words, alone in having experienced internment. Further, it’s not Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et.
It was not until 1991 that I received a letter of apology...with a check for $20,000 signed by George H.W. Bush. As my father would say, “the wheels of democracy turn slowly.”
That makes an amazing statement about this country.
It took a while, but it did apologize. That apology came too late for my father. He passed in 1979, never to know that this government would admit wrongdoing.
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Though the fight for apologies and reparations for formerly interned Japanese Americans began in the early 1980s, President Reagan didn’t sign an act calling for reparations until 1988—and it took another few years before that act actually came to fruition. In George Takei’s understanding, its amazing that the United States did eventually apologize at all. This act shows that the country is willing and able—in time—to recognize its mistakes, apologize, and take concrete steps to make things right for as many people as possible. This, the memoir suggests, is one of the things that makes the United States and American Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Volup
It was a disastrous depression that Roosevelt pulled us out of.
It took that man, and his determination and creative energy...
To establish all those programs, and lift the fortunes of our great country.
But as we were driving here today, I thought, “I’m going to the home of the man who imprisoned me.”
And now I’m here in his home...
Only in America could that happen.
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Speaking at the FDR museum in 2017, George Takei tells audiences that he sees his presence at the museum as proof of America’s greatness. It’s proof that the U.S. is capable of change, reconciliation, and apologies—and only by apologizing and making things right for people like George will the country ever be able to fulfill its ideal of being a welcoming place for immigrants. But even more than that, George insists that it’s essential to think about figures like FDR in a holistic manner. It’s possible, he suggests, to accept multiple things as true: that FDR did amazing things, but Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis.
