We Are Not Free

Explore the events of Pearl Harbor and their importance to the events of the novel. Research the novel’s historical setting, and specifically address Americans’ changing attitudes toward East Asian Americans before and after the events of Pearl Harbor.

Many of the characters face identity conflicts, whether those conflicts are imposed by family dynamics or the American government. Consider the recruitment questionnaire that the camp inhabitants are asked to fill out, and discuss how the dilemma plays into the theme of identity conflict. How do questions 27 and 28 in particular pose a problem? Why can a person answer neither “Yes-No” nor “No-Yes” to those questions?

When Mr. Uyeda is shot, his death impacts the camp. What does his death symbolize? Would peoples’ reactions have been different if not for the questionnaire?