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Cover of They Called Us Enemy

They Called Us Enemy

George Takei

224 pages

A deeply moving, visually striking memoir that filters the monumental injustice of wartime internment through the wide, resilient eyes of a child.

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What it feels like

Reading this graphic memoir feels like sitting down with a wise, compassionate elder who is sharing a painful but necessary piece of their heart. The pacing is brisk, carried by clean, expressive black-and-white artwork that perfectly captures the jarring contrast between a child's innocent perspective and the grim reality of systemic injustice. The mood is undeniably somber, steeped in the trauma of displacement and legalized racism, yet it is continually pierced by moments of profound familial love and resilience. The narrative voice remains remarkably earnest and accessible, never losing its faith in the potential of democracy even while exposing its deepest failures. It will deeply resonate with readers who gravitate toward humanizing, visually engaging histories, offering an emotional journey that moves from childhood confusion to a powerful commitment to activism.

Mood
  • somber
  • poignant
  • resilient
  • hopeful
Tone
  • earnest
  • reflective
  • compassionate
  • righteous
Pace
brisk
Themes
loss of innocence · systemic injustice · family resilience · meaning of patriotism · generational trauma
The writing
The text is clear, conversational, and deeply personal, working in seamless tandem with expressive black-and-white artwork to convey complex historical truths.
The arc
Moves from the terrifying confusion of a sudden childhood uprooting to a profound, hard-won understanding of democratic ideals and lifelong activism.
Who it's for
Readers who appreciate accessible, humanizing accounts of history and graphic memoirs that blend personal coming-of-age stories with broader social justice themes.
Content notes
  • racism and xenophobia
  • wartime internment
  • systemic oppression
  • loss of home

About the book

"A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon--and America itself--in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love. George Takei has captured hearts and minds worldwide with his captivating stage presence and outspoken commitment to equal rights. But long before he braved new frontiers in Star Trek, he woke up as a four-year-old boy to find his own birth country at war with his father's--and their entire family forced from their home into an uncertain future. In 1942, at the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, every person of Japanese descent on the west coast was rounded up and shipped to one of ten 'relocation centers', hundreds or thousands of miles from home, where they would be held for years under armed guard. 'They Called Us Enemy' is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future. What is American? Who gets to decide? When the world is against you, what can one person do?"--

Description from Open Library.

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