A universal experience most of us have been through is trying to fit in. There was a point in our lives where we never stopped to look at the earth trembling down on us. A point in time in which our souls were naive and our laughter rocketed. A time in which we never noticed the harsh backhanded actions of others.

Yet one day when stopping to take a closer look, the world isn’t as perfect as it seems. The world is like an ocean, constantly moving. You have to learn how to swim, or it is easy to get caught between the waves.

They Called Us Enemy is a story of the Takei Family, and their experience with racial discrimination after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In the beginning of this graphic novel, George, the main character, is a child. As he experiences moving into these relocation camps, he still maintains his optimism and innocence. As a child he could not grasp the serious discrimination he faced.

As the story progresses, it reveals the terror the Japanese Americans went through, and the point in which George learns the horrors and reality of his situation. The Japanese Americans were isolated and treated poorly in very high measures.

The Japanese Americans in these camps were citizens of the United States, yet what made them so different from others? Why does race constantly determine the way one is treated? Why were these citizens punished for actions they did not take part in? The Japanese Americans were accused of committing violent acts against others, isolated, and had their personal liberties taken away.

No one should ever be treated the way Japanese Americans were simply because of their unique features and identity. Being different is not a crime, and diversity shouldn’t be hidden.

Noguchi is an artist known for his take on puzzling architecture. His ideas were so out of the ordinary that people rejected his ideas because they didn’t fit into the societal norms. One of his many pursuits were creating a contoured playground. His playgrounds were a new take on free-form playgrounds, broadening a child’s ability to interact and play. Once denied because of the diverse manner, put into a new perspective, these playgrounds became revolutionary.

Everyone has different features and perks, yet we are all bound into a community through family and friends. As we move into the future, racial injustice is still a major challenge minorities face. It is crucial that we use our voice to call out inequality, because being different is not bad. Martin Luther King Junior was a well spoken African American who helped speak about the American Dream, and how it was harder for minorities to achieve this goal because of their race. Being a different race, gender, and ethnicity does not determine the way you should be treated and as a society we begin further pushing for the acceptance of diversity.