Many thoughts came to mind when I read “They Called Us Enemies.” But it was the concept of “putting yourself in their shoes” that struck me the most. This essentially means looking at things from their perspective. From their point of view, comprehend or empathize with a situation. This is something I’ve done numerous times throughout my life. This is something I strive to do whenever there is a disagreement or conflict

While reading “They Called Us Enemies,” I was stunned by how much racism the Japanese faced, it really made me stop and think why didn’t they put themselves in their shoes. How would they feel if they were the ones being attacked with all this racism? One scenario in particular that had me confused was the racism after the Perl Harbor attack. Why did they feel motivated to smash an automobile belonging to a Japanese family? This is a perfect example of putting yourself in their shoes. How would they felt if someone smashed their car just because of the race they were?

While listening to a podcast about Willie Ito, this idea sprang to mind as well. Hearing about this man’s successes in the midst of struggle and racism caused me to pause and consider my own situation. Could I have done what he did if I had been in his shoes? This increased my admiration for him and his work significantly.

In conclusion, reading “They Called us Enemy”, made me stop and come with the conclusion that, you should constantly try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes before making judgements on their behavior.