Japanese Americans In Julie Otsuka's When The Emperor Was Divine
Identity Many may think that United States will be the land of opportunities and fairness. Several have spoken highly of America and excepted great freedom and righteous. Even many families had traveled far to be free in America and had left their countries for the better. Many have thought that they would never be treated as animals again. However, in the novel When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka, her story took place during the World War 2. The novel shows how American has changed their attitudes towards the Japanese because of the war. Ostuka’s family was separated from each other under the American’s investigation due to that they are Japanese Americans. The Japanese Americans lost all of their rights over the suspicious
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What stands out is the Japanese American citizens’ status of United States was not being recognized; therefore, they were bullied and put into internment camps. Even after the war, things have not got better for them but worse. Their hard work was taken away from them and they lived in terror. Although the Japanese had come back after the war, they have lost everything especially their rights and dreams. All the Japanese Americans have done was enduring all the pain yet they may have no involvement in the war. The United States’ government shouldn’t had punished these Japanese Americans harshly without valid evidence and treated them as criminals. But it was not just the Japanese but also Iranians because of 9/11. These two events are similar and the mistreatment did not happen once but twice. We mistreated both of them and did not recognize the Japanese and Iranians as American citizens with respect. I saw that we have repeated our mistakes and should not continue to make this mistake again. I believe that we should be more careful who we choose to punish and how can it affect those who are innocents. Furthermore, we should not judge one’s actions onto others which are unfair because they may have no participation to the cause. Mistakes should not be repeated but to learn from it for future
What stands out is the Japanese American citizens’ status of United States was not being recognized; therefore, they were bullied and put into internment camps. Even after the war, things have not got better for them but worse. Their hard work was taken away from them and they lived in terror. Although the Japanese had come back after the war, they have lost everything especially their rights and dreams. All the Japanese Americans have done was enduring all the pain yet they may have no involvement in the war. The United States’ government shouldn’t had punished these Japanese Americans harshly without valid evidence and treated them as criminals. But it was not just the Japanese but also Iranians because of 9/11. These two events are similar and the mistreatment did not happen once but twice. We mistreated both of them and did not recognize the Japanese and Iranians as American citizens with respect. I saw that we have repeated our mistakes and should not continue to make this mistake again. I believe that we should be more careful who we choose to punish and how can it affect those who are innocents. Furthermore, we should not judge one’s actions onto others which are unfair because they may have no participation to the cause. Mistakes should not be repeated but to learn from it for future