They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
Four-year-old George awakes one morning to his Dad telling him to wake up quickly and get dressed. Soldiers soon arrive at the door, telling the family that under executive orders, they are to leave immediately – Japanese internment has begun.
In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered every person of Japanese descent on the west coast of the United States to be rounded up and moved to “relocation centers”. 120,000 Japanese Americans were put in these camps, hundreds or thousands of miles from home and held by armed guards.
George’s personal account of growing up behind barb wire, experiencing legalized discriminated and watching his parents make very difficult decisions makes for a riveting tale of courage. This graphic novel is one of the most important books within the library. Despite modern day access to a plethora of information, Japanese internment camps are still not considered common knowledge.
George Takei is an actor and activist. He is best known for his role as Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek series. Born to Japanese American immigrants in 1937, George and his family were forced to move to a Japanese internment camp during World War II. He has won several awards and honours for his work as a human rights advocate, including work with the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.
Check out this preview from George Takei via IDW Publishing:
