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They Called Us Enemy: Expanded Edition Hardcover – August 25, 2020

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 5,458 ratings

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The New York Times bestselling graphic memoir from actor/author/activist George Takei returns in a deluxe hardcover edition with bonus material! Experience the forces that shaped an American icon -- and America itself -- in this gripping tale of courage, country, loyalty, and love.

Now with sixteen pages of bonus content from George Takei and his co-creators: a new afterword plus a behind-the-scenes tour of the process of researching, writing, drawing, and promoting They Called Us Enemy, featuring historical documents, scripts, sketches, photos, and more!

George Takei has captured hearts and minds worldwide with his magnetic performances, sharp wit, and outspoken commitment to equal rights. But long before he braved new frontiers in
Star Trek, he woke up as a four-year-old boy to find his own birth country at war with his father's -- and their entire family forced from their home into an uncertain future.

In 1942, at the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, every person of Japanese descent on the west coast was rounded up and shipped to one of ten "relocation centers," hundreds or thousands of miles from home, where they would be held for years under armed guard.

They Called Us Enemy is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the terrors and small joys of childhood in the shadow of legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's tested faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future.

What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? When the world is against you, what can one person do? To answer these questions, George Takei joins cowriters Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott and artist Harmony Becker for the journey of a lifetime.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Winner of the 2020 Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature!

Winner of the 2020 Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work!


"
They Called Us Enemy is truly beautiful — moving, thoughtful, important, engaging, and stunningly rendered. I am so excited to see this book's impact on the world." — Jacqueline Woodson, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and National Book Award-winning author of Brown Girl Dreaming 
  
"George Takei’s story reveals the important lessons of the WWII Japanese American Incarceration that still need to be learned today. 
They Called Us Enemy is a compelling must-read for all ages.” — Karen Korematsu, Founder and Executive Director, Fred T. Korematsu Institute 
  
"Riveting... Takei has evolved into an increasingly powerful voice for oppressed communities, and 
Enemy finds him at peak moral clarity — an unflinching force in these divisive times." — The Washington Post

"A detailed, wrenching account... 
They Called Us Enemy should prove the most potent introduction for younger readers to this ignoble chapter in our history." — The New York Times

"Powerful, moving and relevant." 
— Los Angeles Times

"Moving and layered... Giving a personal view into difficult history, [
They Called Us Enemy] is a testament to hope and tenacity in the face of adversity." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
"A compelling blend of nostalgia and outrage... this approachable, well-wrought graphic memoir is important reading, particularly in today's political climate." 
— Booklist (starred review)
 
"This evocative memoir shares stories of the nation’s past, draws heartbreaking parallels to the present, and serves as a cautionary tale for the future."
— School Library Journal (starred review)
 
"Emotionally staggering... 
They Called Us Enemy also inspires readers to engage through democracy to insist that we treat fellow human beings with fairness and dignity." — Amazon's "Best Books of the Month"

"A cogent reminder that liberty and justice is not always for all, 
They Called Us Enemy explores a dark episode of America’s past as it dives into the heart of a pop culture icon." — Foreword Reviews' "Indie Books That'll Blow You Away"
 
"The creators are gifted storytellers, and Takei has a great story to tell, full of unexpected twists. And as compelling as it is, it is also inspirational, a story of ordinary people and the choices they faced in an extraordinary time." 
ICv2

"A tale of triumph over adversity." BBC America

About the Author

George Takei is known around the world for his founding role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the Starship Enterprise, in the acclaimed television series Star Trek. But Takei's story goes where few stories have gone before. From a childhood spent with his family wrongfully imprisoned in Japanese American internment camps during World War II, to becoming one of the country's leading figures in the fight for social justice, LGBTQ rights, and marriage equality, Mashable named Takei the #1 most-influential person on Facebook, with 10.4 million likes and 2.8 million followers on Twitter.

Justin Eisinger is co-author of the New York Times Best Selling graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, George Takei's story of childhood internment. During a career of more than a dozen years immersed in graphic storytelling, a fateful encounter with March author and Civil Rights pioneer Congressman John Lewis inspired Eisinger to turn his experience to bringing engaging non-fiction stories to readers. Born in Akron, Ohio, Eisinger lives in San Diego, California, with his wife and two dogs, and in his spare time publishes North America's only inline skating magazine.
Steven Scott has worked regularly in comics since publishing his debut book in 2010, most notably as a publicist. His writing has appeared in publications by Archie Comics, Arcana Studios, and Heavy Metal magazine. As a blogger/columnist he has written for the pop culture sites Forces of Geek, Great Scott Comics, and PopMatters.

Harmony Becker is an artist and illustrator. She is the creator of the comics Himawari Share, Love Potion, and Anemone and Catharus. She is a member of a multicultural family and has spent time living in South Korea and Japan. Her work often deals with the theme of the language barrier and how it shapes people and their relationships.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Top Shelf Productions; Expanded edition (August 25, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1603094709
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1603094702
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9+ years, from customers
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.56 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.87 x 0.88 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 5,458 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
5,458 global ratings
Simple, stunning, and impactful
5 Stars
Simple, stunning, and impactful
George Takei's personal story brings to life a shameful period in American history. I was a little hesitant about the graphic novel format, but I think it works beautifully in retelling his childhood and bringing the experience to life from a child's eye. As the book continues, he weaves in and out of the "present day" and his recollections in a way that brings the reader along, connecting the dots between something that feels so long ago to the events of recent years.I highly recommend this for anyone who is a history buff, interested in American history and how separate events weave us all together, and for parents looking to gently introduce their children to Asian American history.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2024
I love that this book is in a comic format. It made it so easy for me to read and I loved the sketches. I found the story very interesting to say the least and it brought to light the history that I had not heard about in detail even though my mother was in Hawaii at the time and experienced some of the aftermath. She never spoke of it which peaked my curiosity and enticed me to purchase this book. I am a fan of George Takei as Star Trek is one of my favorite movie series. I would recommend this book to everyone of all ages. Thank you, George for writing it.
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
I don’t often read either graphic novels or biographies typically. however this was an incredibly digestible novel and I feel like I know so much more information about the World War II internment of Japanese Americans than I ever did in any history class.
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024
The book's author is George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu in Star Trek. The story is about the experiences in the Japanese internment camps and the background of its history. All the identified " Japanese" left everything behind: properties, businesses, belongings, neighbors, friends, and all they were accustomed to, but their lives were spared, unlike the Jewish people under the Nazis. However, is it justifiable? My father was PWO in the Soviets during World War II, but he survived. During his life, he seldom talked about his experiences, and I often thought I had alcoholism. I didn't know. Mr. Takei and his father's experience reminded my father, and I felt incredibly guilty about my lack of understanding of the pain that my father had carried for the rest of his life. We may try to comprehend how the people in the period felt, but acknowledging the background of history is paramount and a duty to those who passed away. Lastly, my father told me he didn't hate Americans but the wars when I asked him the question. I knew his answer was sincere because I spotted profound grief in his eyes. No hatred and No wars.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2024
Even though this appears to be a childlike comic book, it was fascinating for me to read as an adult. This is not my average book that I would read, but we ended up reading it because a friend and I went and saw the author speak in person at a university. I wanted my kids to read it afterward. Very sad and eye-opening.
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024
George Takei’s history is formatted into a comic book but shares an important message of history, democracy, and ensuring the freedoms of others. There were segments added that were a little confusing at the end— where it points that history may be repeated (people at the Mexico border, banning people from Muslim countries, etc).. but doesn’t expound.

Overall, it was interesting to read.
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2020
In 1942, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans were taken away from their homes and placed into dingy prison camps all over the US. They did nothing wrong, but had none of the legal means to prove it to the racist authorities. They were paying for the sins of their home country after the Pearl Harbor bombing. Classic ignorant thinking at its worst: because a small minority of the group committed the crime, the entire group is guilty. George Takei spent most of his tender childhood living under this kind of oppression as he and his family were among the Japanese-American families locked up in internment camps. Reading about this shameful experience through his eyes makes everything that much more heartbreaking. His young mind couldn’t comprehend the ignorance of those in charge. He tried to make sense of the barbed wire enclosures, deplorable conditions, and abusive army guards. Fast forward into adulthood and George Takei does everything in his power as an equal rights activist and Hollywood actor to make sure this terrifying history doesn’t happen again.

This graphic novel is nothing short of a brutally honest look into the politics of fear. Powerful politicians will use their influence and charisma to rile up their supporters into believing that the less fortunate are what’s wrong with this country. We saw it with the Japanese internment in George Takei’s book and we’re seeing it today with the Muslim ban, the family separation policy at the Mexican border, and black people getting harsher treatment from law enforcement than whites. The one thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history. But it doesn’t have to be this way. This book has the power to educate its readers. When you familiarize yourself with your fellow world citizens, you’re less likely to judge them. That’s what “They Called Us Enemy” means to me and that’s one of the reasons it’s getting a perfect five out of five stars. The more educated we are, the better off we’ll be. That means leaving behind comfortable bigotry and thinking about what it’s like to be the other guy, which is often a horrifying reality.

But of course, there will always be those contrarians out there who say, “It wasn’t all that bad!” These same people say it about black slavery, they call Mexican border detention centers “Summer Camp”, and they’ll no doubt say it about Japanese internment camps. Having guaranteed living conditions doesn’t mean those conditions are necessarily good. Did I mention the barbed wire fencing around the camps? Did I mention the abusive treatment from the soldiers? What about the fact that George Takei’s family had to live in a horse stall that smelled like rancid feces? What about the infighting among Japanese prisoners who joined the military to prove their patriotism and the prisoners who stayed in the camps to protest? Had enough harsh reality? But wait, there’s one more juicy detail: institutionalization. Some prisoners were so familiar with the routine life of the camps that they couldn’t imagine getting back on their feet in a normal society. Now imagine a child as young as George Takei feeling that way upon leaving the camp. You get to see all of this through the author’s eyes whether you want to or not. It won’t be pleasant, but it’ll be a necessary kick in the butt for the apathetic and fearful.

Despite the shortness and quick pacing of the book, you will feel as though you’ve taken an entire US history course in one sitting. Let this be a message to you all. Treat your neighbors with kindness and respect. Treat your inferiors with the same level of understanding and love. If you see an injustice happening, don’t stay quiet. Be the activist you were meant to become. Be a passionate enough voice in this battle for equality that those in power will have no choice but to listen. Let your words haunt them like schizophrenic ghosts. Will this change anything? Let me put it this way: we don’t have a choice but to activate our activism. The world can’t survive without making progressive leaps and bounds. That is the nature of time. Any questions?
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Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2024
I thought I knew about the internment, but this highly readable account contains so many, new to me, facts and details.
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
Interesting story that made it personal and approachable. This is probably something tailored to young readers.

Top reviews from other countries

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Donatello
5.0 out of 5 stars Evergreen
Reviewed in India on January 21, 2024
The story remains evergreen with just a change of characters. It tells a story untold and fits perfectly of what is going on in the world even now.
JoyLuck
5.0 out of 5 stars Important history to share with young
Reviewed in Germany on March 24, 2022
Important history of racial injustice is important to share to young people and this form of literature makes it accessible and palatable. Based on the actor‘s own personal experience, it is an important eye witness account.
Ignacio S. R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinante
Reviewed in Mexico on November 22, 2019
Una historia conmovedora que rescata un episodio poco conocido de la historia de Estados Unidos y cómo la memoria de los japo-americanos se concilia con su pasado reciente.
ardeear
5.0 out of 5 stars Going Boldly
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2020
George Takei is many things: as an actor he is most readily associated with being Mr Sulu on ‘Star Trek’ but his pan-Asian helmsman from the USS Enterprise is only a fraction of the story. A social rights campaigner for much of his adult life, Mr Sulu was an early sign of success for a young Takei, being a positive Asian character on American TV at a time when Japanese-Americans (and, pretty much anyone of non-Caucasian heritage) were not usually treated at all kindly by the ‘white majority’.
The role gave Takei recognition and the springboard to further LGBT+ rights as well as the opportunity to address injustices around the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII.
While, as a UK reader of ‘They Called Us Enemy’, certain nuisances of the US constitution left me a little cold, the human story behind the treatment of a whole swathe of people - purely due to their racial heritage - is powerfully told and, as the book itself points out, the resonances in recent American history - given the actions of Trump - remain deeply concerning.
Takei’s an inspiring individual who draws greatly on the inspiration of his own parents and, in particular, his father. This book is also an inspiration, illuminating an aspect of American history about which I had little awareness. It is also about more than one moment in history and how one set of people were treated during it, it makes it clear that this one episode is part of a wider continuum about the choices individuals and states make in treating people and their communities with respect and fairness. It also serves as a warning that advances in civil rights are rarely uniform and enduring: they ebb and flow. Gains, once made, cannot be assumed to be forever - far from it - and states can take decades rectifying wrongs. Rights need fighting for day-by-day so that they are maintained, something Takei does not flinch from, whether here or in his daily life and, for that, I commend him, his work and this book.
2 people found this helpful
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Anita DiCastri
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning
Reviewed in Canada on August 23, 2019
I bought this for my 12 year old son, who (like the rest of our family) is interested in the history of The Second World War. He read it in a few days and insisted I put my own book down and read it right after he finished. I found it a surprising mix of feel-good warmth and devastation. George Takei does a wonderful job of portraying how a strong and loving family can find joy in the most trying of circumstances. The descriptions of those trying circumstances brought tears to my eyes more than once. This mix of emotions is heightened by the very talented illustrations of Harmony Becker. Beautifully done, well worth the read.
One person found this helpful
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