They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei-204 pages

This is the story of the Japanese-American internment camps. Specifically, it is the story of George Takei and his family's experience in two different camps during World War II. It is an unthinkable, awful disgrace that American citizens were incarcerated and ripped from their homes simply for their looks. It is awful what the Japanese did at Pearl Harbor, but those who were incarcerated did not have anything to do with Pearl Harbor. Takei recalls his experiences as a young child in these internment camps and the events surrounding the incarceration. He was shielded by his parents from much of the most egregious, but still witnessed many atrocities. Takei's mother was one of thousands all but forced to renounce American citizenship to protect family, which would not be remedied until many were nearly deported to Japan. I saw Mr. Takei on stage at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. and heard him tell of the publishing of this necessary work. Hearing him talk of these atrocities intrigued me and I have been eager to read this work ever since. It is not a disappointment. I would recommend this to anyone, especially as a reminder that no one is perfect and as an essential window to an awful, embarrassing moment in American and World history.