While reading They Called Us Enemy, the theme of discrimination came up frequently. From the way the Japanese were immediately viewed as a threat to American safety to the camps to the way they were treated by people. Japanese business owners in the comic were forced to lower their costs drastically and eventually forced to give it up entirely. It is prevalent that many non-Japanese Americans viewed them as outsiders and spies, despite many of them having grown up in America and have no reason for suspicion. But the reason why the Japanese faced discrimination seems to be much deeper than WWII. One could say that it was solely due to Japanese involvement in WWII that caused mistreatment. However it is difficult to ignore the fact that almost none of the treatment that had been given to the Japanese were given to Germans, who were also at the front of the war. The Japanese were easily identifiable and it was most likely fueled by racism.

Pretty much all groups of people have a history of discrimination of another group of people. Europeans have a viewed themselves as a superior human race during the age of imperialism. The concept of colonization is rooted in the idea of racial superiority, showcased in sayings such as “white man’s burden”. The people in Japan also viewed themselves as the superior of all the other ethnicities around them. They used this ideology to justify taking over much of Asia and the infamous Unit 731. There was not a single survivor of unit 731 where the Japanese cruelly “tested” on their enemies.

But what makes people think in this way? Various thinkers questioned how people turn into their adult selves. An especially notable figure is Sigmund Freud. Although having some odd ideas such as the Ophelia’s complex, he was critical in the way we think. His enormous contribution to psychoanalysis is shown through his ideas on dreams and the subconscious. One such idea was that child hood experiences shape a persons personality and behavior. An earlier example of this idea can be found by John Locke, where he explores the idea of tabula rasa. Tabula Rasa is the idea that people are born as an empty slate and their experiences make them who they are. Essentially, if we are taught certain ideas as a child, we will also carry them on into adulthood. For example, the code of bushido was used in Japan to increase loyalty, bravery, and discipline. Young people were easily influenced into joining the war and risking their lives for their country.

Yet, you can’t simply blame all the wrongdoings of people on outside influence and their childhood. But then what can you blame? This raises the question on innate human nature. Humans naturally want to categorize which could manifest as harmful beliefs of a certain group of people, leading to a feeling of superiority within the other group. Colonization, genocide, and ethnic cleansing are clear examples of this concept.

At the end of the day, people are responsible for their own beliefs. Relocation camps issued by the American government and discrimination of the Japanese-Americans were wrong and inhumane. We can only learn from our past mistakes to make sure these things don’t happen again.