While reading the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy, I could not help but notice a certain similarity between the protagonists of the story and me. We are Asian American. This raised some questions in my mind. What if this happened to me and my family? Could the events that happened many years ago, that affected many Japanese Americans happen again? Why did this happened?

What Happened During COVID

Something that reminds me of the situation that was portrayed They Called Us Enemy was the Asian and Pacific Islander hate that was happening during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I was lucky due to the fact that I am in a city where the hate crimes were not a prevalent compared to the many other areas. This time period was very sad and scary because there would be a new hate crime every night on the news. My family would gather around the TV and talk about how we needed to be more cautious about going outside. My parents would especially worry about going outside, they would only go outside if it was essential. This was also when organization likes Stop AAPI Hate would form to fight the hate and prejudice. But, this did not really calm my family because there was so much organizations like these could do. At the end of the day, the prejudice and hate was still there.

How Would I Feel?

I believe that what happened to the Japanese Americans during World War 1 is not talked about enough. They were American citizens who were forcefully taken out of their home based on the “suspicion” that they were spies. I believe that was just an excuse attack the Japanese Americans based on the prejudice they had on them. Reading this raised the question; What if this happened to my family? I would immediately feel confused on what is happening. I would also feel enraged on why are they doing this. Even with all this anger, I would not rebel because I don’t think it would be worth it just like George Takei’s father. I respect what he did for his family and himself. Even with all the anger he built up, he stayed calm and went along with what the government was doing to his family. This is because he knew that if he rebelled, his family would be in danger. Overall, I believe that what George Takei’s family went through was terrible, but they handled it perfectly.

Conclusion

Reading They Called Us Enemy helped me learn a lot about myself and what happened in the past. It raised many questions about myself that I did not know the answer to. By the end of the book, I was able to find the answer those questions and that helped me grow as a person. It also exposed me to horrible events that took place and how it played out.