They Called Us Enemy

George Takei is the author of the book. He is a child when the US government orders that Japanese Americans be moved to internment camps. George is an ebullient, adventurous youth and, due to the efforts of his parents, the early days of the various camps he lives in are not overly grueling for him. Years later he comes to understand the injustice that his family and other Japanese Americans endured, which sparks his interest in social activism. George has a keen sense of justice and the heart of an activist. He uses his platform—beginning with Star Trek—to speak on behalf of the disenfranchised.

George is naive and innocent as a child, passionate as a teenager, but with a mistaken conviction in Japanese passivity, and wise as an adult. He represents the Sansei, the youngest generation in the camp, and how the views of those youths clashed with the traditions and decisions of their elders. Today, George is a beloved worldwide star and activist. He uses his immense social media platform to spread his message of inclusion, tolerance, love, and American idealism.