They Called Us Enemy

So I want to start off by saying that I may be a touch bias in this review in that I’m both a massive fan of Star Trek, and also the granddaughter of a man who was in an internment camp himself, so this book felt extremely personal. I got it because I wanted to get a better idea on what the camps were like, and how things actually went down. I hadn’t been told my grandpa was in a camp until after he had passed, so this was a resource in understanding my own family history in a way that I had otherwise never gotten in any comprehensive way. It was a bittersweet read, as the art is beautiful, the story is extremely well told, and it felt like a really good mix of personal and historical, as it was both very much the story of a man’s family and childhood, while also being a view into the inner workings of the camps, and the politics involved during and after for Japanese Americans who lived through such an unwarranted tragedy. It was very personally touching, I read it in 3 days, I could hardly get myself to put it down. I recommend it to everyone, especially anyone with a strong interest in first-hand accounts of historical events, anyone who is related to a survivor of these camps who wants to better understand what happened and what their relatives experienced, or just anyone who wants to educate themselves or their children on this specific event in US history.

This 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.

EXCELLENT read (read it 3 times) Excellent book to get to know more of the true story of the USA and how Asian / Asian American where treated

This is a beautiful graphic novel that outlines the story of George Takei and the discrimination he and his family suffered during World War II. His experience in the internment camps as a child shaped his call to social justice that carries on to this day. I loved the connections of past and present, bringing the plight of minorities into the forefront as he tells his story. It is a story of then and now. A story that unfortunately the United States as a whole has not learned from and continues today. The illustrations drive the story more home for me. A perfect way to show and have conversations with younger people. A wonderful story!

This is a hard graphic novel to review. It is about the "Japanese Internment Camps" the US had during WWII. It is a part of our history that was never taught when I was in school and we need to know about and not forget about them. While we might understand why it happened, it does not make it any less wrong. The story itself is interesting. George Takei shares about his life and the lives of his family growing up in these camps. The art work is simple and stylized, but makes it point well. I have always enjoyed listening to George Takei speak and he has a wonderful sense of humor and timing. For some reason this seems to be lacking in the Graphic Novel, making it a little dryer read than it needs to be. Takei may have done this because of the seriousness of the subject, but sometimes a bit more humor drives home the point of the more serious points, and I would have liked to have seen just a little bit more of that. This is not to say there are not a few humorous parts in the book and it may be that what is really missing is Takei's easily seen roll of the eyes, or sarcastic smile, and the inflection of his voice as he makes a point. The narrative portion of the story is written in a way that I have a hard time hearing his voice in my head as I read it. It is still a good read, but it could have been a great read. And no matter what, I hope that in these troubled times it help us to remember our history, so we don't repeat it again.

Arrived super fast. My son - 15 - devoured this extremely well written and illustrated non fiction graphic novel. It was tastefully done, telling a hard truth about our country's history without "dissing". My son learned a lot. Highly recommend.

I only recently came across They Called Us Enemy. An online acquaintance recommended the book. So much so, that whenever he came across a copy, he would gift it to someone. This encouraged me to get a copy of the book for myself. I read through the 200+ page graphic novel in one day. Reading the story of Takei was shocking. I knew the travesty of war and what WWII did to the Japanese, however I didn't understand what it did to the children of those families. Reading They Called Us Enemy reminded me of the film Grave of the Fireflies. In the US, we hear the US side of things. We don't understand what happened to the "enemy." They Called Us Enemy will help you rethink of what you consider an enemy and the actions we've taken against various people groups. This will be a recommended book for years to come.

It shames me to know that people of Japanese heritage were so shabbily treated, not only here in Canada, but in the USA as well. This all happened before my time, but still.... :( The book is well done, the art, the story, the presentation, the publishing, EVERYTHING is first class. I think it's a MUST READ for everyone, regardless of your skin colour, ethnicity, age, or gender preference.

I loved to learn about it as i had never heard about it before. The story was sad but interesting. Pictures great quality and so was the book material.

I loved reading this GN. I bought this book with no idea what it would be about and I was not at all disappointed. I finished this book in one sitting because of what I was learning with each page turn!

They Called Us Enemy is a deeply personal and politically urgent graphic memoir by George Takei, co-written with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott, and illustrated by Harmony Becker. It recounts Takei’s childhood experience in Japanese American internment camps during World War II, offering a firsthand account of injustice, resilience, and the contradictions of American democracy. Told with clarity and emotional nuance, the book invites readers to witness history through the eyes of a child grappling with betrayal by his own country. The artwork is clean and expressive, allowing the emotional weight of the story to shine through without distraction. More than a memoir, it’s a call to remember and reckon—with the past and with the systems that allowed such violations to occur. It’s a powerful resource for classrooms, libraries, and anyone seeking to understand how personal history intersects with national trauma.

I recommend this splendid graphic bio for all Americans, Japanese and Trekkies.