New York Times Bestseller!
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 does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? When the world is against you, what can one person do? To answer these questions, George Takei joins co-writers Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott and artist Harmony Becker for the journey of a lifetime. BL 4.6/2 |
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE:
Research the organization "Carry the Future" and look up their handmade bears that are sent to immigrant detention camps and refugees, can you or your class help contribute some? https://carrythefuture.org/do-something/do-something-the-beginning-of-the-road/. I know the race happened in 2017, but what else can you do? What can you do in Central Nebraska? You could take food to a homeless shelter, or donate items to the Jubilee Center in Kearney. There are many needs in our area, so go there instead of "Carry the Future" if you'd like. It is good to know about this program though and the good it is doing for everyone.
Research the organization "Carry the Future" and look up their handmade bears that are sent to immigrant detention camps and refugees, can you or your class help contribute some? https://carrythefuture.org/do-something/do-something-the-beginning-of-the-road/. I know the race happened in 2017, but what else can you do? What can you do in Central Nebraska? You could take food to a homeless shelter, or donate items to the Jubilee Center in Kearney. There are many needs in our area, so go there instead of "Carry the Future" if you'd like. It is good to know about this program though and the good it is doing for everyone.
CHANCE:
Research George Takei and make a list of movies and shows he has starred in. Find one that would be appropriate for you and watch it. Please feel free to make it a Movie Party with some of your friends so they can count this activity as well. He was in the early Star Trek series on television, as he began his career in 1958. He was also a voice on Mulan. There are many options for you to watch, just be careful what you choose!
Research George Takei and make a list of movies and shows he has starred in. Find one that would be appropriate for you and watch it. Please feel free to make it a Movie Party with some of your friends so they can count this activity as well. He was in the early Star Trek series on television, as he began his career in 1958. He was also a voice on Mulan. There are many options for you to watch, just be careful what you choose!
ACTIVITY 3:
The Japanese Haiku-
The Japanese Haiku is a short poe, that only uses 17 syllables in 3 different lines. By keeping the "rules" for every Haiku the same, creating a poem with meaning creates an interesting challenge. The first and third lines of a Haiku only have 5 syllables. The middle line has 7 syllables. Here is an example of a Haiku:
Can't forget the past.
But we aren't our grandfathers,
We can learn from it.
Try creating a Haiku of your own. Find a background on the internet that you can create your own Haiku on that expresses what you have learned from reading "They Called Us Enemy." Here are two prompts that might help you, or you can do something that you think up on your own.
The Japanese Haiku-
The Japanese Haiku is a short poe, that only uses 17 syllables in 3 different lines. By keeping the "rules" for every Haiku the same, creating a poem with meaning creates an interesting challenge. The first and third lines of a Haiku only have 5 syllables. The middle line has 7 syllables. Here is an example of a Haiku:
Can't forget the past.
But we aren't our grandfathers,
We can learn from it.
Try creating a Haiku of your own. Find a background on the internet that you can create your own Haiku on that expresses what you have learned from reading "They Called Us Enemy." Here are two prompts that might help you, or you can do something that you think up on your own.
- American Flag Prompt: What is an American? What does it mean to be an American?
- Clouds and Wall Prompt: Use the theme "Inside Looking Out". How would you feel if you were behind walls?