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They Called Us Enemy Kindle & comiXology
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level10 - 12
- Lexile measureGN680L
- PublisherTop Shelf Productions
- Publication dateJuly 17, 2019
- ISBN-13978-1603094504
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Review
Winner of the 2020 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work!
"They Called Us Enemy is truly beautiful — moving, thoughtful, important, engaging, and stunningly rendered. I am so excited to see this book's impact on the world." — Jacqueline Woodson, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming
"George Takei’s story reveals the important lessons of the WWII Japanese American Incarceration that still need to be learned today. They Called Us Enemy is a compelling must-read for all ages.” — Karen Korematsu, Founder and Executive Director, Fred T. Korematsu Institute
"Riveting... Takei has evolved into an increasingly powerful voice for oppressed communities, and Enemy finds him at peak moral clarity — an unflinching force in these divisive times." — The Washington Post
"A detailed, wrenching account... They Called Us Enemy should prove the most potent introduction for younger readers to this ignoble chapter in our history." — The New York Times
"Powerful, moving and relevant." — Los Angeles Times
"Moving and layered... Giving a personal view into difficult history, [They Called Us Enemy] is a testament to hope and tenacity in the face of adversity." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A compelling blend of nostalgia and outrage... this approachable, well-wrought graphic memoir is important reading, particularly in today's political climate." — Booklist (starred review)
"This evocative memoir shares stories of the nation’s past, draws heartbreaking parallels to the present, and serves as a cautionary tale for the future."— School Library Journal (starred review)
"Emotionally staggering... They Called Us Enemy also inspires readers to engage through democracy to insist that we treat fellow human beings with fairness and dignity." — Amazon's "Best Books of the Month"
"A cogent reminder that liberty and justice is not always for all, They Called Us Enemy explores a dark episode of America’s past as it dives into the heart of a pop culture icon." — Foreword Reviews' "Indie Books That'll Blow You Away"
"The creators are gifted storytellers, and Takei has a great story to tell, full of unexpected twists. And as compelling as it is, it is also inspirational, a story of ordinary people and the choices they faced in an extraordinary time." — ICv2
"A tale of triumph over adversity." — BBC America
About the Author
Justin Eisinger is co-author of the New York Times Best Selling graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, George Takei's story of childhood internment. During a career of more than a dozen years immersed in graphic storytelling, a fateful encounter with March author and Civil Rights pioneer Congressman John Lewis inspired Eisinger to turn his experience to bringing engaging non-fiction stories to readers. Born in Akron, Ohio, Eisinger lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and two dogs, and in his spare time publishes North America's only inline skating magazine.
Steven Scott has worked regularly in comics since publishing his debut book in 2010, most notably as a publicist. His writing has appeared in publications by Archie Comics, Arcana Studios, and Heavy Metal magazine. As a blogger/columnist he has written for the pop culture sites Forces of Geek, Great Scott Comics, and PopMatters.
Harmony Becker is an artist and illustrator. She is the creator of the comics Himawari Share, Love Potion, and Anemone and Catharus. She is a member of a multicultural family and has spent time living in South Korea and Japan. Her work often deals with the theme of the language barrier and how it shapes people and their relationships.
Product details
- ASIN : B07P5GS3PT
- Publisher : Top Shelf Productions (July 17, 2019)
- Publication date : July 17, 2019
- Language : English
- File size : 622561 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Not enabled
- Enhanced typesetting : Not Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Not Enabled
- Print length : 212 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #34,913 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
Justin Eisinger is co-author of the New York Times Best Selling graphic memoir, "They Called Us Enemy," George Takei's story of childhood internment, and co-creator of a forthcoming illustrated nonfiction series at Chronicle Books. Eisinger recently served as Senior Editor at entertainment publishing house Insight Editions, where he spearheaded a range of titles from "Seinfeld: The Official Cookbook" to "Dungeons & Dragons: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book." During a career of more than a dozen years immersed in graphic storytelling at IDW Publishing, a fateful encounter with Civil Rights pioneer Congressman John Lewis inspired Eisinger to turn his experience adapting animated episodes and film into comic books towards bringing engaging nonfiction stories to readers. After 18 years in San Diego, Eisinger has returned to NE Ohio with his wife and two dogs, and in his spare time publishes North America's only inline skating magazine, ONEblademag.
With a career spanning five decades, George Takei is known around the world for his founding role in the acclaimed television series Star Trek, in which he played Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise. Takei starred in three seasons of Star Trek and later reprised his iconic role in six movies.
Mashable.com says Takei is the #1 most-influential person on Facebook, with more than 4.2 million followers. Takei has more than 700,000 followers on Twitter. Takei authored “Oh Myyy! There Goes the Internet,” released in e-book and paperback earlier this year, and it ranked #10 on the New York Times E-book nonfiction list.
Takei is featured in the comedy film Larry Crowne, starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, released in July 2011 by Universal Pictures.
Takei also stars in the action-comedy series Supah Ninjas, which premiered in April 2011 on Nickelodeon.
Takei and Tony Award winner Lea Salonga are developing a new musical called "Allegiance.” The musical is an epic story of love, family and heroism during the Japanese American internment. Allegiance's world premiere at the Old Globe theatre in San Diego in 2012 will be followed by a Broadway run.
Takei's on-camera television credits also include guest appearances on The Neighbors, Hawaii Five-0, The New Normal, Malcolm in the Middle, Scrubs, Miami Vice, MacGyver, Hawaii Five-0, The Six Million Dollar Man, Mission: Impossible, My Three Sons, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and The Twilight Zone. He has appeared on The Big Bang Theory, Psych, 3rd Rock from the Sun and Will & Grace.
Takei has brought his voiceover talent to hundreds of characters in film, television, video games and commercials during his prolific career. In film, Takei can be heard voicing characters in such films as Mulan, Mulan II and Batman Beyond: The Movie. He has voiced characters for numerous animated series including The Simpsons, Scooby-Do and the Samurai Sword, Transformers: Animated, Kim Possible, Futurama, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Hey Arnold!, Samurai Jack, Hercules, Spider-Man, The Smurfs and George Lucas' Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Adding to his resume, Takei has provided narration on many projects including the 2009 PBS series The National Parks: America's Best Idea, the 2006 Peabody Award-winning radio documentary, Crossing East, centered on the history of Asian American immigration to the United States and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (cassette) which garnered Takei a 1987 Grammy Award nomination for Best Spoken Word Album.
In addition to a busy acting career, Takei regularly appears on Howard Stern's Sirius XM satellite radio show. He is also an accomplished author having written Oh Myyy! There Goes the Internet, co-written the science-fiction novel Mirror Friend, Mirror Foe with Robert Asprin and published his autobiography To the Stars in 1994.
Takei, a Japanese American who from age 4 to 8 was unjustly interned in two U.S. internment camps during World War II, is an outspoken supporter of human right issues and community activist. Takei is chairman emeritus and a trustee of the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles. Takei has served as the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign "Coming Out Project," and was cultural affairs chairman of the Japanese American Citizens League. He was appointed to the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission by former President Clinton and the government of Japan awarded Takei the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his contribution to U.S. - Japanese relations. The decoration was conferred by His Majesty, Emperor Akihito, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. In 2007, Asteroid 7307 Takei, located between Mars and Jupiter, was named in the performer's honor in appreciation for his social work.
Takei currently lives in Los Angeles with his husband Brad Takei. They were married at the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo on Sept. 14, 2008.
Steven Scott is the Eisner award-winning co-author of the New York Times bestselling graphic memoir THEY CALLED US ENEMY, about the childhood internment of George Takei. He has written CAT NINJA, TIME BUDDIES, and more comics for Epic! Originals where he served as a staff writer. In addition, he's written graphic novels for a yet-to-be announced series for Capstone. He is also the cartoonist of his own comic strip memoir, G'DAY YANK. Having grown up a military brat, he has lived all over the U.S., spent his youth in Australia, and currently resides in Canada.
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the graphic novel format that makes it easy for young readers to understand and appreciate the enlightening story about real history. The emotional content is described as moving, heartbreaking, and uplifting. Readers mention it's suitable for all ages, especially middle school students.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They say it's an eye-opener and a must-read for high school students and above. The book is described as a tribute to the Takei family and a testament to how one can rise to the top.
"...It was both educational and touching, and enlightening and satisfying to hear how George Takei spoke out in unpopular fashion and became a popular..." Read more
"...The black and white art was an interesting choice but it worked. Good read!" Read more
"...This is a worthwhile book to read to learn about someone’s first-hand account of living in these camps, obviously a shameful period in our recent..." Read more
"What a powerful and informative book by George Takei, the iconic actor of Star Trek fame...." Read more
Customers enjoy the graphic memoir. They appreciate the simple line drawings and engaging pictures that grab young readers' attention. The book is well-written and edited to be concise and direct.
"...Very very well-drawn and well-written with detail and compassion for those who lived it and those of us trying to understand it and prevent similar,..." Read more
"Book has great flow and artwork. The black and white art was an interesting choice but it worked. Good read!" Read more
"...This graphic novel is nothing short of a brutally honest look into the politics of fear...." Read more
"Presented as a graphic novel with simple line drawings similar to what you’d find in Japanese comic books, They Called Us Enemy is George Takei’s..." Read more
Customers find the book enlightening and informative. They say it captures the real history and is an important memoir that will remain important forever. The story is interesting and eye-opening, with more detail than they had heard before. Readers mention it's a chronological collection of memories and events of that time.
"...It was both educational and touching, and enlightening and satisfying to hear how George Takei spoke out in unpopular fashion and became a popular..." Read more
"...But it doesn’t have to be this way. This book has the power to educate its readers...." Read more
"...Less a poetic piece of writing, it’s a mostly chronological collection of memories and events of that time, framed as part of a recent TED Talk..." Read more
"This graphic memoir from George Takai is moving and inspiring...." Read more
Customers enjoy the engaging story. They find it well-written and accessible for young readers. The book is described as a graphic novel that depicts events in Takei's life in an overall manner.
"...You get wrapped into the story quickly, and it clearly exposes and explains a little understood episode of American history that deeply affected..." Read more
"Book has great flow and artwork. The black and white art was an interesting choice but it worked. Good read!" Read more
"...Despite the shortness and quick pacing of the book, you will feel as though you’ve taken an entire US history course in one sitting...." Read more
"...I read through the 200+ page graphic novel in one day. Reading the story of Takei was shocking...." Read more
Customers find the book emotionally engaging and moving. They describe it as uplifting, bittersweet, and informative about US history. The author captures the emotions well in her drawings, making the story personal and approachable.
"...Very very well-drawn and well-written with detail and compassion for those who lived it and those of us trying to understand it and prevent similar,..." Read more
"Nice art work and a great story of a Japanese family during the internment of Japanese citizens during WW2 with a nice twist at the end" Read more
"...I wanted my kids to read it afterward. Very sad and eye-opening." Read more
"...the example of the son coming to terms with his father with love, tenderness, and respect." Read more
Customers find the book suitable for all ages. They say it's appropriate for middle school students, though they may need someone to help them. The pictures are captivating and grab young readers' attention. Readers also mention it's a good way to introduce children to this story.
"...Absolutely perfect for tweens and teens trying to understand why knowing history is important, and that while government tries to serve and protect,..." Read more
"...This book is easily read by teens and adults. Probably appropriate for middle school students, though they may need someone to help them understand..." Read more
"...This book is aimed at middle school students, but is good for older readers, too, and raises important questions about the meaning of America...." Read more
"...While definitely written for a younger audience, the concepts were still complex and given their proper weight...." Read more
Customers find the book's pacing moving and educational. They say it stays with them for a long time. The story explores themes of strength and bravery, while also exploring human frailty and the true meaning of living. Readers appreciate the visual format and good quality of the book.
"This graphic memoir from George Takai is moving and inspiring...." Read more
"...in such a simple, honest and elegant way that it will stay with the reader for a long, long time...." Read more
"...Having this story told by someone who was there is incredibly moving and the book is very well done...." Read more
"...It didn’t take me long to finish the book because it’s well made. I think my students are going to love it...." Read more
Customers find the book easy to understand and approachable. They appreciate the simple text and pictures that make it seem less textbook-like. The story is told by a first-hand source in an effective manner.
"This book is wonderful. Simple words explained well, with Japanese words for the time translated and explained perfectly...." Read more
"...But this book lays out the details in such a simple, honest and elegant way that it will stay with the reader for a long, long time...." Read more
"...the script on each page can become excessively small- very difficult to read in many places...." Read more
"Interesting story that made it personal and approachable. This is probably something tailored to young readers." Read more
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Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2019This book is wonderful. Simple words explained well, with Japanese words for the time translated and explained perfectly. You get wrapped into the story quickly, and it clearly exposes and explains a little understood episode of American history that deeply affected thousands of American-born citizens as well as their legal immigrant parents and grandparents. It was both educational and touching, and enlightening and satisfying to hear how George Takei spoke out in unpopular fashion and became a popular icon even in his elder years. Very very well-drawn and well-written with detail and compassion for those who lived it and those of us trying to understand it and prevent similar, later.
Engrossing for an adult, and maybe a little frightening for young children under twelve, but they could read it if they are especially good readers and have support of caring adults. Absolutely perfect for tweens and teens trying to understand why knowing history is important, and that while government tries to serve and protect, mistakes are made even by well-intentioned people. It also shows that some so-called educated adults who think they are compassionate and informed, can make terrible decisions because of bias implicit in how they were raised.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2024Book has great flow and artwork. The black and white art was an interesting choice but it worked. Good read!
- Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2020In 1942, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans were taken away from their homes and placed into dingy prison camps all over the US. They did nothing wrong, but had none of the legal means to prove it to the racist authorities. They were paying for the sins of their home country after the Pearl Harbor bombing. Classic ignorant thinking at its worst: because a small minority of the group committed the crime, the entire group is guilty. George Takei spent most of his tender childhood living under this kind of oppression as he and his family were among the Japanese-American families locked up in internment camps. Reading about this shameful experience through his eyes makes everything that much more heartbreaking. His young mind couldn’t comprehend the ignorance of those in charge. He tried to make sense of the barbed wire enclosures, deplorable conditions, and abusive army guards. Fast forward into adulthood and George Takei does everything in his power as an equal rights activist and Hollywood actor to make sure this terrifying history doesn’t happen again.
This graphic novel is nothing short of a brutally honest look into the politics of fear. Powerful politicians will use their influence and charisma to rile up their supporters into believing that the less fortunate are what’s wrong with this country. We saw it with the Japanese internment in George Takei’s book and we’re seeing it today with the Muslim ban, the family separation policy at the Mexican border, and black people getting harsher treatment from law enforcement than whites. The one thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This book has the power to educate its readers. When you familiarize yourself with your fellow world citizens, you’re less likely to judge them. That’s what “They Called Us Enemy” means to me and that’s one of the reasons it’s getting a perfect five out of five stars. The more educated we are, the better off we’ll be. That means leaving behind comfortable bigotry and thinking about what it’s like to be the other guy, which is often a horrifying reality.
But of course, there will always be those contrarians out there who say, “It wasn’t all that bad!” These same people say it about black slavery, they call Mexican border detention centers “Summer Camp”, and they’ll no doubt say it about Japanese internment camps. Having guaranteed living conditions doesn’t mean those conditions are necessarily good. Did I mention the barbed wire fencing around the camps? Did I mention the abusive treatment from the soldiers? What about the fact that George Takei’s family had to live in a horse stall that smelled like rancid feces? What about the infighting among Japanese prisoners who joined the military to prove their patriotism and the prisoners who stayed in the camps to protest? Had enough harsh reality? But wait, there’s one more juicy detail: institutionalization. Some prisoners were so familiar with the routine life of the camps that they couldn’t imagine getting back on their feet in a normal society. Now imagine a child as young as George Takei feeling that way upon leaving the camp. You get to see all of this through the author’s eyes whether you want to or not. It won’t be pleasant, but it’ll be a necessary kick in the butt for the apathetic and fearful.
Despite the shortness and quick pacing of the book, you will feel as though you’ve taken an entire US history course in one sitting. Let this be a message to you all. Treat your neighbors with kindness and respect. Treat your inferiors with the same level of understanding and love. If you see an injustice happening, don’t stay quiet. Be the activist you were meant to become. Be a passionate enough voice in this battle for equality that those in power will have no choice but to listen. Let your words haunt them like schizophrenic ghosts. Will this change anything? Let me put it this way: we don’t have a choice but to activate our activism. The world can’t survive without making progressive leaps and bounds. That is the nature of time. Any questions?
- Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2019Presented as a graphic novel with simple line drawings similar to what you’d find in Japanese comic books, They Called Us Enemy is George Takei’s memoir focusing on his experience as a child living with his family in Japanese Internment Camps during WWII. Less a poetic piece of writing, it’s a mostly chronological collection of memories and events of that time, framed as part of a recent TED Talk speech he’s apparently given at least once before.
What’s both great and hard-to-take about what he shares are the details. He frames most of his memories from two perspectives. First, the memories are described with the wonder and excitement of a naive child who had no context for why his family was forced to quickly pack up their belongings, move out of their L.A. area home, board trains with hundreds of other Japanese-American families, and be relocated to live in a one-room shack in Arkansas. Then at the same time, he adds how he now realizes how his parents had felt then, shamed yet working hard to shelter and care for their three young children against the harsh existence they now were forced to live.
I wish the transitions between his memories were more gracefully handled, like in similar autobiographical graphic novels like the Holocaust memoir Maus and Congressman John Lewis's Civil Rights Movement memoir March. But that’s nitpicking. It also can't be helped that the book presents a very stark parallel to how Mexican immigrant families crossing the border illegally are currently looked at by our government, i.e. enemy aliens, to use Takei’s term.
A side note: Takei also addresses the actions taken by politicians immediately after Pearl Harbor towards Japanese-Americans. He cites FDR’s swift action to sign legislation ordering the forced relocation of those of Japanese descent as well as then California Attorney General Earl Warren’s support of the “lock up the Japs” attitude that grew out of the Pearl Harbor bombing. I just saw a meme on Facebook recently lauding Warren who, after he became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, criticized gun rights advocates for not truly understading the 2nd Amendment, at least the way he interpreted it. I thought Warren was a cool dude until I read Takei’s book and thought to reconsider.
The book does end with a few pages devoted to his years after they were freed, including brief anecdotes about getting cast in Star Trek. This is a worthwhile book to read to learn about someone’s first-hand account of living in these camps, obviously a shameful period in our recent American history. And today, an increasingly familiar one too. (I said this was a depressing book, right?)
- Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2024Nice art work and a great story of a Japanese family during the internment of Japanese citizens during WW2 with a nice twist at the end
Top reviews from other countries
- DonatelloReviewed in India on January 21, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Evergreen
The story remains evergreen with just a change of characters. It tells a story untold and fits perfectly of what is going on in the world even now.
- JoyLuckReviewed in Germany on March 24, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Important history to share with young
Important history of racial injustice is important to share to young people and this form of literature makes it accessible and palatable. Based on the actor‘s own personal experience, it is an important eye witness account.
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Ignacio S. R.Reviewed in Mexico on November 22, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinante
Una historia conmovedora que rescata un episodio poco conocido de la historia de Estados Unidos y cómo la memoria de los japo-americanos se concilia con su pasado reciente.
- ardeearReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars Going Boldly
George Takei is many things: as an actor he is most readily associated with being Mr Sulu on ‘Star Trek’ but his pan-Asian helmsman from the USS Enterprise is only a fraction of the story. A social rights campaigner for much of his adult life, Mr Sulu was an early sign of success for a young Takei, being a positive Asian character on American TV at a time when Japanese-Americans (and, pretty much anyone of non-Caucasian heritage) were not usually treated at all kindly by the ‘white majority’.
The role gave Takei recognition and the springboard to further LGBT+ rights as well as the opportunity to address injustices around the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.
While, as a UK reader of ‘They Called Us Enemy’, certain nuisances of the US constitution left me a little cold, the human story behind the treatment of a whole swathe of people - purely due to their racial heritage - is powerfully told and, as the book itself points out, the resonances in recent American history - given the actions of Trump - remain deeply concerning.
Takei’s an inspiring individual who draws greatly on the inspiration of his own parents and, in particular, his father. This book is also an inspiration, illuminating an aspect of American history about which I had little awareness. It is also about more than one moment in history and how one set of people were treated during it, it makes it clear that this one episode is part of a wider continuum about the choices individuals and states make in treating people and their communities with respect and fairness. It also serves as a warning that advances in civil rights are rarely uniform and enduring: they ebb and flow. Gains, once made, cannot be assumed to be forever - far from it - and states can take decades rectifying wrongs. Rights need fighting for day-by-day so that they are maintained, something Takei does not flinch from, whether here or in his daily life and, for that, I commend him, his work and this book.
- Anita DiCastriReviewed in Canada on August 23, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning
I bought this for my 12 year old son, who (like the rest of our family) is interested in the history of The Second World War. He read it in a few days and insisted I put my own book down and read it right after he finished. I found it a surprising mix of feel-good warmth and devastation. George Takei does a wonderful job of portraying how a strong and loving family can find joy in the most trying of circumstances. The descriptions of those trying circumstances brought tears to my eyes more than once. This mix of emotions is heightened by the very talented illustrations of Harmony Becker. Beautifully done, well worth the read.