Though understandably booked at San Diego Comedian Con with two e-book signings and a panel, George Takei took day trip to talk with me about his newest undertaking.
After lastly being launched from America’s unjust incarceration camps, younger grownup activist George Takei met two of his heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Eleanor Roosevelt. I felt the awe he will need to have felt that day once I met him to speak about his graphic memoir They Referred to as Us Enemy.
Though categorized as a graphic memoir, to me it is a historical past e-book which ought to be taught in each historical past class throughout America. Like Takei’s clever father states within the e-book, we now have to be taught the tough historical past of the U.S. so we don’t repeat the identical errors.
Fortunately, Takei is ready to relate the errors we’re making right now with people who had been completed to his Japanese American group solely 70 years in the past, particularly the Muslim journey ban. I thanked Takei and his fellow Japanese American group for bravely supporting Muslim People and CAIR (Council of American Islamic Relations.)
I advised Takei and his honourable artistic crew how significant the illustrations of Hijabis within the e-book had been to me. Having such a beloved and profitable icon like Takei spotlight the struggles of oppressed Muslim People meant the whole lot to me. Particularly since, after 17 years, I reluctantly took off my Hijab (I nonetheless sport hats/caps) due to too many bodily and verbal assaults.
Whereas co-writer Justin Eisinger and gifted illustrator Concord sympathized with me, Takei challenged me, “What’s the Muslim American group doing to assist oppressed Muslims?” I didn’t count on the interview desk to be turned on me. I’ve been completely comfy taking part in the sufferer and permitting fellow Americans and authorities leaders to combat for me. Takei urged Muslim People to be “participatory” in American politics. He famous the “progress” our nation has made, since 1000’s of “younger folks, legal professionals and authorities officers like Sally Yates” publicly denounced the Muslim journey ban, whereas the Japanese American incarceration was met with crickets. “You have to be optimistic. Optimistic individuals are those who change issues,” he insisted.
I maintain the e-book near my coronary heart, since I didn’t have one thing like this once I was rising up, however Takei emphasised the significance of impressionable kids and younger folks studying the e-book, as a result of they’re those who will change the world for the higher.
In class I realized that Japanese People had been incarcerated throughout World Conflict II, however I didn’t know the extent of their struggling and dehumanization by the hands of the U.S. authorities. The illustrations in They Referred to as Us Enemy play an enormous position of imprinting the story in my coronary heart, particularly with the unimaginable likeness to Takei, his siblings, and his mother and father by childhood, adolescence, and maturity. Sadly, the wrestle didn’t finish after Takei and his household had been launched from the camp; as they labored to rebuilt their lives, they needed to stay on Skid Row. However rebuild it Takei did, and he went on to check appearing at UCLA (go Bruins!) and turn into one of many first Asian American stars on tv. He and different former incarcerated Japanese People went from victims to heroes as the US authorities acknowledged and adorned their efforts, years later.
Tears welled in my eyes as I wrote this publish, and I used to be additionally emotional whereas I learn They Referred to as Us Enemy. Nevertheless it’s mandatory studying for us with the intention to humanize the oppressed folks all over the world. Whether or not it’s Japanese People, Muslim People, indigenous folks, Uyghurs or South American migrant kids, we should acknowledge oppression instantly and combat it.
Though I reluctantly left Takei’s presence (after asking for his autograph and a photograph!) I positively left with my head held increased and a music in my coronary heart. I used to be blessed to satisfy considered one of our sort civil rights activist of right now, who turned his household’s turmoil into empathy and energy, and I vow to share this message with my group.
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