They Called Us Enemy Summary and Analysis

Summary: Pages 5–27

As young George Takei and Henry slept, their father woke them. Daddy told the boys to wait in the living room while he packed. Out the living room window, the boys could see soldiers and hear loud banging on the door. Daddy gave the soldiers his full name, Takekuma Norman Takei. The soldiers told him his family must leave under Executive Order 9066. As they left, Henry asked George where they were going. Mama, holding a baby, cried as she carried out a suitcase.

The next page shows Takei as he gave a TED Talk in Kyoto, Japan. He told the audience the scene above was burned into his memory. He said he’s a veteran of the Starship Enterprise, with a group of people from all over the world, alluding to his time on Star Trek. He explained he’s also the grandson of immigrants who came to America in search of opportunity.

Takei’s mother and father met in Los Angeles, California, in 1935. His father was born in Japan and traveled to the United States for high school, then began a successful dry-cleaning business. His mother, Fumiko Emily Nakamura, was born in California but raised traditionally Japanese. She attended school in Japan to avoid attending a segregated school. The two were married in Los Angeles and soon had children. Their first child died at three months old. Their first living child, George, was born in April 1937 and named for the English King George VI. His little brother Henry, named for Henry VIII, came next, then finally their little sister Nancy Reiko.

On December 7, 1941, George was helping Daddy string lights on a Christmas tree when “Silent Night,” playing on the radio, was interrupted by an announcement. The Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor. It was almost certain that the president would ask Congress to declare war. Mama and Daddy looked worried. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt addressed the nation by radio, stating that “we, the people” were ready to act. President Roosevelt signed a proclamation naming every adult Japanese citizen in the United States an “alien enemy.” Though Daddy had lived and worked in the United States for 25 years, the government hadn’t allowed him to apply for citizenship—so he was now considered an enemy of the United States.

The country listened as President Roosevelt addressed Congress the next day. He described the attack and said it was an event “which will live in infamy.” Even as he spoke, the cars of Japanese were destroyed, and slurs were written on them. Roosevelt asked Congress to sign a declaration of war on Japan—in just 33 minutes, it did.

In California, “lock up the Japs” became a popular political position. The state attorney general, Earl Warren, chose to take advantage of this sentiment to gain political power in his quest to become governor. He caused division by saying the United States should lock up all Japanese people to prevent another Pearl Harbor. Takei says that Warren knew he was talking about 100,000 people who had done no wrong but that he used the idea for political gain. In fact, he did go on to become governor for three terms and chief justice of the United States Supreme Court.

The Los Angeles mayor, Fletcher Bowron, testified to Congress that Japanese couldn’t be assimilated. All of this pressure led to Roosevelt signing Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. Though the order didn’t mention “Japanese” or “camps,” it allowed the military to declare areas from which people can be excluded. The military was assigned the duty of giving excluded people housing, food, and transportation. Within 10 days, all of the West Coast and Arizona were named military areas from which the Japanese would be excluded. In the spring, Japanese families were ordered to processing areas, loaded onto buses and trains, and headed for unknown destinations. Most had already lost their valuables and assets after the government froze bank accounts of suspected enemies. After Roosevelt’s order, Japanese-owned businesses were forced to sell their goods for unfair prices, and many had to sell all their belongings for tiny amounts just to survive. Japanese farmers had to continue to raise crops or be considered war saboteurs, and their crops were seized by private individuals. Earl Warren was unsympathetic. Mama went to the bank to find that the family’s account was frozen.

Japanese Americans were placed under curfew, and the Army began evacuations. Lt. General John L. DeWitt, a major cause of hysteria after Pearl Harbor, said the curfew would help prevent Japanese sabotage. He hinted that the Japanese have racial traits that make them prone to disloyalty. Roosevelt signed a law that allowed curfew violators to be arrested, though some broke it to protest the unfair rule. New restrictions soon came—Japanese Americans couldn’t travel farther than five miles from work or home. Relocation notices were posted in the Takei neighborhood. At this point, the narrative returns to its beginning, with soldiers knocking on the door.

Analysis: Pages 5–27

In this section of the text, George Takei sets the stage for his narrative. He is now an older man, telling the story of his life, framed by his internment as a young boy. In many ways, the Takeis could be considered achievers of the American Dream. An immigrant and daughter of immigrants have built a happy, quiet life and family. The scene in which “Silent Night” plays on the radio as a Christmas tree is decorated shows how the family is integrated into American society and traditions.

George’s idyllic life is interrupted by the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. This event uncovers the racism toward Japanese Americans simmering under the surface of life in America, which boils over. Politicians like Earl Warren use this racism and mistrust of Japanese Americans to gain political power, even increasing the rhetoric. This directly leads to a situation where Japanese Americans are labeled as enemies and orders are given that innocent people be removed from their homes and locked up; this is the first of many failures of American democracy that George discusses in the memoir.

One literary choice Takei makes is to move around in time and place. He uses a nonlinear timeline moving from the present day to his life as a young boy to when his parents met. This serves to place the events he writes about in perspective and helps the reader develop context for both George’s life and the events surrounding Japanese internment.