They Called Us Enemy

by George Takei

Other authorsHarmony Becker (Illustrator)
Paperback, 2019

Status

Available

Publication

Top Shelf Productions (2019), Edition: First Edition, 208 pages

Library's review

"Abeautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.

Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were
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forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.

A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)" A Kirkus Starred Review. www.kirkusreviews.com
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Awards

Georgia Children's Book Award (Finalist — Grades 6-8 — 2021)
Utah Beehive Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award (Nominee — Grades 9-12 — 2021)
Eisner Award (Nominee — 2020)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2021)
Ohioana Book Award (Finalist — Middle Grade & Young Adult Literature — 2020)
Blue Hen Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Arkansas Teen Book Award (Nominee — 2021)
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature (Winner — Young Adult — 2020)
Golden Archer Award (Nominee — 2023)
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2021)
Evergreen Teen Book Award (Nominee — High School — 2022)
Lectio Book Award (Nominee — 2022)
Rhode Island Teen Book Award (Honor Book — 2021)
Excelsior Award (Shortlist — 2020)
Three Stars Book Award (Nominee — Middle School — 2021)
VLA Graphic Novel Diversity Award (Winner — Youth — 2019)
North Star YA Award (Nominee — 2021)
Notable Children's Book (Older Readers — 2020)
Nerdy Book Award (Graphic Novels — 2019)
Project LIT Book Selection (Middle Grade — 2021)
OYAN Graphic Rave (Middle Grade — 2020)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2019-07-16

ISBN

1603094504 / 9781603094504

Barcode

1083
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