They Called Us Enemy Full Book
They Called Us Enemy is a graphic memoir by George Takei, a renowned actor, activist, and author, best known for his role in Star Trek. Co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott, and illustrated by Harmony Becker, the book provides a poignant look at Takei’s childhood experiences during World War II when he and his Japanese-American family were forcibly relocated to internment camps by the U.S. government.
Plot Summary:
George Takei was only five years old when his family was uprooted from their home in Los Angeles following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Under Executive Order 9066, over 120,000 Japanese Americans were labeled as potential threats and sent to desolate internment camps. The Takei family—George, his parents, and two siblings—were sent to Camp Rohwer in Arkansas and later to Camp Tule Lake in California.
Despite living under harsh conditions marked by barbed-wire fences, overcrowded barracks, and racism, young George’s understanding of the world was shaped by the love and resilience of his parents. His father, a thoughtful and wise man, tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy, while his mother shielded the children from the pain of their unjust imprisonment.