Within Ichiro’s family, everyone was living in their own worlds. His mother strictly represented Japan. She refused to believe Japan has lost the war. In her mind, they were only living in American to earn a sum of money, educate their children, and then move back to Japan. In fact their lifestyle was the same lifestyle they had in Japan. She wasn’t willing to learn English or assimilate to the cultures of Americans. Ichiro’s father was a push-over from his mother. He didn’t have a mind of his own and just agreed to what he was told. Taro, Ichiro’s younger brother, also looked down on his brother. He wanted to join the U.S. Army and be a “true” American. Ichiro’s decision to go to Portland and the actions of Taro, has left his mother traumatized and commit suicide.
Kenji, was a friend of Ichiro, who had served as a soldier in the U.S. Army and lost a leg. Even though he had lost a leg and lived through endless suffering and pain, in a way he was proud to be an “American”. He proved that he was an American by serving in the war. Ichiro wanted so much to trade places with Kenji, even if it meant he had to die. To Ichiro, the feeling of not having an identity was worse than dying.
Other characters such as the Kumasakas and Emi were seen as Americans in their own eyes. The Kumasakas originally planned to stay in the United States for a while and save enough money to go back to their homeland. However once they had lost their son in the war, they decided to establish a home in the U.S. and slowly grew to like it here. Their son sacrificed his life for America and they were proud of him. Emi’s husband was Japanese for fought for the United States. She spent years waiting for his return. Even as much as she wished for him to come back, a part of her felt pride and patriotic to be an America. However, in reality they were all just Japanese. Japanese and Americans didn’t mix and their membership in American was denied.
To be American, was an identity. America was a place for home. Living in America, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an American. For Ichiro and all the other Japanese in “No-No Boy”, were Japanese, not American. Even if they served in the war for the United States, they were still considered to be Japanese. In fact, they all suffered identity crisis. Some, like Kenji, Taro, and the Kumasakas, chose to believe they were Americans. But the rest of America, didn’t see them as Americans. They were living in America, but weren’t free. They couldn’t even choose to be who they wanted to be or wanted to believe in. While America was a place known as the land of freedom, they were all slaves.
Ichiro was sent to prison because he didn’t serve in the U.S. Army. He was Japanese, didn’t he have the right to chose to not fight against Japan? Taro looked down on Ichiro only because he was ignorant of the truth. He was still young and saw only what was in front of him. As mentioned in the story, Ichiro said that Taro was “only more fortunate that war years found you too young to carry a gun.” Maybe if it was Taro who was selected to serve, he would have backed out also. Was it wrong to be afraid? Yes, it was true that Kenji and the Kumasaka’s son sacrificed themselves for America. But was it really worth it to lose your own life for no recognition? Whites were automatically recognized as Americans by their skin color, but the Japanese weren’t. Even if they served in the army, it doesn’t prove them to be American.
Ichiro’s mother and along with other Japanese, wait for the ship from Japan with their baggage ready. Letters have been sent saying that they’ll be picked up soon. Their lifestyles were as the same as their lifestyles in Japan. They lived as if they have never left Japan. They chose to believe Japan won the war. But it was all an illusion. Underneath the smoke screen was the cruel reality they wished to escape. But even living in a fantasy world, they were much happier and freer and fuller. Hope was constantly held within their souls. Tomorrow or maybe the day after that, they thought something might come to the rescue.
Ichiro and other No-No boys felt hopeless. They’ve made a “mistake” and were never going to be forgiven. In job interviews and schools they questioned him about his disloyalty. Even if he had served his two years in jail, he felt more insecure and imprisoned in the wrongness of himself than when he was in jail. He couldn’t accept it that it happened to him. The real world was a place of danger and cruelty. He was an outsider. He was hopeless, living life without dreams or goals. His direction in life was lost.
Racism is an issue that will continue on as long as humans exist. Not everyone in this world will be accepted. Everyone is so diverse and has different minds, backgrounds, and experiences. While those things may shape who we are, it also shapes how we interpret others. In the novel, Japanese cannot be Americans and vise versa. Whereas in the United States, there is no real American. Everyone comes from a different background, carrying different beliefs and cultures. Who is it to judge what we can be and what we can’t? The Japanese who lived in America during War World II was especially criticized because of the attack on Pearl Harbor. But it wasn’t their fault. It was unfair to put someone’s mistake on the group as a whole. If serving in the U.S. Army doesn’t make a person American, what better way is there to prove it? If the Japanese who served for the United States aren’t classified as Americans, no one else should be classified as Americans. They’ve sacrificed their lives and showed respect to America more than any other American who had white skin and blue eyes.
The identity of “American” was supposed to be a reference of freedom, hope, and opportunity. Many people strived for this title. However, it wasn’t the case. The Japanese weren’t considered as Americans. They were freer in Japan, than in America. Even having to live through discrimination and inhuman treatments, they were not American. They lived each day in fear, not knowing what would happen to them. Was this America? Where was the freedom? It was more like prison, if not worse. Identity was nation based. A person should have the freedom to choose what they want to be and what not to be. Life is full of opportunities and how you choose to live your life is up to you. Live according to your own beliefs and follow your own path and make the best of it.
Citation:
Okada, John. No-No Boy. Seattle:
University of Washington Press, 1977
