Quick, think of three things you’re bringing on a trip to Hawaii.

THREE.

‎

‎

TWO.

‎

‎

ONE.

Were you thinking of a change of clothes? Well, I am probably right because that’s the typical response most people would give. You’d bring necessities like clothes and money first, and then squeeze in some extras like a bag of chips if you’ve got space. It’s not so hard to answer this question is it?

Wrong.  For Takei’s family, the three words, pack your bags, were the most frightening words they’d ever heard.

In 1942, over a hundred thousand Japanese-Americans were imprisoned at internment camps and were treated like garbage. One of the survivors is George Takei, author of They Called Us Enemy. His graphic novel describes his youth and the obstacles he faced behind the barbed wire.

He covers many themes, such as the protective nature of family, racial prejudice, and sacrifice. However, I infer that the theme Takei wanted to highlight is somewhere along the lines of persistence, hope, and making the best out of the worst. In the novel, there are numerous instances where Takei’s father is met with a challenge and works hard to overcome it. He’s almost seen as the family hero who can solve any problem and keep them safe in Takei’s eyes. It’s become a common motif and pattern throughout the novel, and that’s why the theme of persistence and optimism stood out to me. 

Of the books I’ve read, I noticed that almost all of them contain the common theme of persistence. I’ll give you an example. In Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Montag lives in a brutally repressive society where books have been burned to prevent original thought. Despite this, Montag reads his first book in secret and continues reading because within the stories he finds a sense of purpose. Because of his reading, he can save and rebuild the broken world he lives in, which would not be possible if he didn’t persevere and defy the circumstances.

The Japanese-Americans in the internment camps held on tight to the same principles that kept Montag human: perseverance and optimism. When backed into a corner, neither of them buckled in the face of adversity and did the only thing they could do: continue to fight.

The world is very giving, and you can materialize a lot of things you want into reality with good old-fashioned hard work and persistence. A lot of people don’t realize that and believe their lives are capped. They miss the chance to live the life they dreamed of just because they lost their first battle. Don’t let that happen to you. So keep on fighting, and control your destiny.