No-No Boy

Ichiro goes to the Christian Rehabilitation Center where he is interviewed by a man named Morrison who speaks some Japanese, having traveled to Japan before. Ichiro tells Morrison that Gary, a friend of a friend, is working for him. Morrison replies that Gary is a great worker but “has a problem.” Ichiro sheepishly owns up to having the same problem. Morrison says he can give Ichiro a job working alongside Gary and that maybe the three of them can find a way to resolve their problem. Ichiro says he will consider the offer and then goes to talk with Gary, who is painting the center’s sign. Ichiro and Gary talk about their time in prison; Gary says that he feels he is a better person for it, that before his incarceration, he just talked about making art but now he really does it. Gary also tells Ichiro about his experience of discrimination at his last job, where he was hated for refusing the draft. One lone co-worker, an African American named Birdie, stood up for him and was nearly killed for doing so. Eventually, Gary tells Ichiro, Japanese Americans will cease to harass him when they realize that they will never be treated like whites.