Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Book Review: They Called Us Enemy / George Takei

Have you watched Star Trek? Do you remember the character Hikaru Sulu? He was played by George Takei who took the role that offered respect for Japanese American citizens. This was particularly important to him after spending some of his growing up years in a couple of Japanese internment camps during World War II. This graphic memoir shares his story but also shows how history is circular, how we keep repeating the same mistakes, and how paying attention to what happened before can help guide us in our lives today. 
One of my favorite lines from the book is when Takei quotes his father, "Our democracy is a participatory democracy. Existentially it's dependent on people who cherish the shining, highest ideals of our democracy and actively engage in the political process." - talk about lessons for today!

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