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Indlæser... I Am an American: A True Story of Japanese Internmentaf Jerry Stanley
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Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. I really enjoyed reading this book. It is long so I should start by recommending the age group starting at about 9+ years old. When World War II was discussed in my upbringing, Japanese internment was never mentioned. I clearly remember the explanation of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hitlers intended extermination of Jewish people, and America's entry into the war with Japan and Germany. This book actually starts out with information of Japanese immigrants prior to World War II and the affects of the Pearl Harbor bombing on Japanese-Americans. Following the Executive Order 9066, Japanese-Americans were required by law to assemble in groups to be transported away from the California coast and be held against their will indefinitely in ramshackle housing camps; loosing their owned property, houses, vehicles, and money. The only thing they were allowed to bring was whatever they could fit into two suitcases. This book provides an important piece of history to cover when discussing Hitler's deplorable conduct with Jewish people. Young Shi Nomura was among the 120,000 American citizens who lost everything when he was sent by the U.S.government to Manzanar, an interment camp in the California desert, simply because he was of Japanese ancestry. I like that this book shows the struggles and not so good times in American history.
Susie Wilde (Children's Literature) Photojournalist Jerry Stanley proves for a second time that he has an amazing gift for revealing history through individual lives. In this book he focuses on the upheaval that high school senior, Shi Nomura, faces when on the brink of engagement, is forced to spend three years behind the barbed wire of Manznar Relocation Camp. The book is filled with emotionally provocative stories and photos that give a strong sense of what it felt like to live through this period of time. Ages 10 up.
Illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Young Shi Nomura was among the 120,000 American citizens who lost everything when he was sent by the U.S. government to Manzanar, an interment camp in the California desert, simply because he was of Japanese ancestry. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)940.53History and Geography Europe Europe 1918- World War IILC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
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I Am an American looks at Japanese internment in a broader historical context with regards to the war as well as what it was like for Japanese people both before and following the war. But it also presents a more intimate portrait of Shiro Nomura, as well as his girlfriend, Amy Hattori, and the woman he eventually married, Mary Kageyama. The book presents details of their lives before, during, and after internment, while also talking more generally about what life was like in the internment camps. It also focuses on the racism experienced by Japanese Americans in spite of them going to great lengths to prove their loyalty to their country. Even those who’d served in the U. S. military weren’t exempted from this inhumanity. The only slight misgiving I had with the book was how the author frequently quoted white people who used a racist slur. I commend the author for pointing out that it was a slur, so that kids hopefully won’t get the wrong idea and start using it themselves. I also like that he tried to balance these stories of racism with those of white people who supported Japanese Americans, as well as the fact that he pretty unequivocally expressed the injustice of it all. However, a part of me wonders how a child or teen of Japanese ancestry might feel if reading the book and seeing these slurs. This led me to muse on whether there might have been a way to soften the language a bit, given that even I, as a white adult, felt uncomfortable while reading these quotes. I grudgingly admit, though, that the shock value of it does help drive home how terrible and unjust it was for the Japanese Americans experiencing it. My only other concern, given that this is a book aimed at middle-schoolers and perhaps young teens, is the brief mention of a Japanese man committing suicide when he found out that people like him were to be interned. Otherwise, I think this is a great book for teaching kids and teens about this often overlooked and shameful piece of American history. I learned a number of things while reading it that I didn’t previously know, so I know that it would be informative to young people as well. ( )