Analysis Of Hotel On The Corner Of Bitter And Sweet
The book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet begins in 1986 where Henry Lee, a Chinese-American who’s now in his 50s, approaches a crowd at the Panama Hotel in Seattle where remaining belongings of Japanese families are discovered. This triggers Henry to begin reminiscing upon his own experience that took place in 1942. The story transitions to Henry as a child and his experiences in the years of World War II. It all begins when the devastating attack at Pearl Harbor has taken place, and now Henry receives terrible treatment from his peers at an all-white school. Henry’s father even attached a pin to differentiate his ethnicity from the Japanese, that demonstrated the ignorance of society. The author, Jamie Ford, takes the chance to focus
on the atrocities Japanese-Americans faced during World War II. It is continuously repeated by the Japanese-Americans, that they are, “American” Asian-Americans continued to face racist treatment. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 ordered all Japanese-Americans regardless of their citizenship into internment camps. This order violated the civil rights of many Japanese-Americans who were not involved in Pearl Harbor. Ford demonstrated the unfair treatment by including the FBI raids that took Japanese-Americans away. This book touches upon the topic of racism and the discriminatory treatment against Asian-Americans. This book is not banned from anywhere, however; the possible controversy could be that this book reveals the handling of the citizens. Ranging from the racism to the FBI raids, such actions do not support the nationalistic approach of supporting the United States’ history. Ford takes the time to emphasize America’s faults by describing the situations the main characters face.
Ford also explains the cultural differences in the story that differentiated Henry from the rest of his peers. Coming from a background of Asian descent, Ford explains the traditional food that Henry enjoys eating and the structure of his household. In Henry’s household, he struggled talking to his parents. Henry has problems with cultural identity because of what language he is supposed to say. He continuously has to understand his differences from everyone, instead of his similarities with them all.
on the atrocities Japanese-Americans faced during World War II. It is continuously repeated by the Japanese-Americans, that they are, “American” Asian-Americans continued to face racist treatment. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 ordered all Japanese-Americans regardless of their citizenship into internment camps. This order violated the civil rights of many Japanese-Americans who were not involved in Pearl Harbor. Ford demonstrated the unfair treatment by including the FBI raids that took Japanese-Americans away. This book touches upon the topic of racism and the discriminatory treatment against Asian-Americans. This book is not banned from anywhere, however; the possible controversy could be that this book reveals the handling of the citizens. Ranging from the racism to the FBI raids, such actions do not support the nationalistic approach of supporting the United States’ history. Ford takes the time to emphasize America’s faults by describing the situations the main characters face.
Ford also explains the cultural differences in the story that differentiated Henry from the rest of his peers. Coming from a background of Asian descent, Ford explains the traditional food that Henry enjoys eating and the structure of his household. In Henry’s household, he struggled talking to his parents. Henry has problems with cultural identity because of what language he is supposed to say. He continuously has to understand his differences from everyone, instead of his similarities with them all.