In “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”, author Jamie Ford depicts the friendship between Henry Lee and Keiko Okabe, a Chinese American boy and a Japanese American girl whose ethnic backgrounds impacted their destinies in drastically different ways during World War II. After the attacks on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, the United States government ordered all persons of Japanese ancestry to evacuate their homes where they would then be sent to internment camps. Keiko and her family being considered Japanese even though they were truly Japanese Americans, were sent to an internment camp. While Keiko was imprisoned, Henry had to come to terms with what it meant to be Chinese, an obedient son, a trustworthy friend, and a loyal American all while having to deal with the racism and discrimination towards people of Asian …show more content…
An artist in particular who was an advocate for tolerance and an end of discrimination was the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson wrote a song called “Black or White” after undergoing a skin surgery. Before the surgery he had black skin and then after the surgery he had white skin which made many start to act hostile towards him and his change. The world perceived him as someone completely different however he was trying to prove that he was still the same man he was prior to the surgery. It promotes the idea that no matter what skin color or race one is, we are all human beings and should all be accepting of each other’s differences. The theme of racism and discrimination in the novel “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” impacts one of the main characters Henry Lee and through the song “Black or White” by Michael Jackson, one can relate Henry’s feelings, thoughts, and personality with the meaning behind the
This book reflects the author’s wish of not only remembering what has happened to the Japanese families living in the United States of America at the time of war but also to show its effects and how families made through that storm of problems and insecurities. The story takes in the first turn when the father of Jeanne gets arrested in the accusation of supplying fuel to Japanese parties and takes it last turn when after the passage of several years, Jeanne (writer) is living a contented life with her family and ponders over her past (Wakatsuki Houston and D. Houston 3-78). As we read along the pages
The young girl is prevented from entering the church where her grandmother has prayers. As a person from the old world, the young girl is not allowed to play with boys from the new world. On the other hand, “in response to executive order” by Dwight Okita is about Americans of Japanese origins that were supposed to report to relocation
Having to be patient in every relationship can be frustrating especially when having to wait years and never getting a response back. In the novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, there are many different relationships that occur throughout the novel. During this time period after Pearl Harbor, the Chinese did not have any sort of relationship, except for hatred for Japanese, making the main character Henry, a Chinese boy, face many tough obstacles when making a decision and choosing family or what he thinks to be the love of his life Keiko a Japanese girl. The development of every relationship can be difficult especially when facing changes throughout time. Henry's relationships throughout the novel have changed and shaped his life in many ways caused by conflicts such as war, racial discrimination, and culture.
In the novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, there are high tensions between white Americans and Japanese-Americans in the midst of WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This tension caused extreme racism towards Japanese-Americans during that time period and Chinese-Americans were commonly caught up in the racist attacks as well, despite China’s alliance to the U.S. during WWII, based strictly off of their appearance. Due to these high tensions, the protagonist in Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, 12-year-old Henry, is made to wear a
Mary Matsuda Gruenewald tells her tale of what life was like for her family when they were sent to internment camps in her memoir “Looking like the Enemy.” The book starts when Gruenewald is sixteen years old and her family just got news that Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japan. After the bombing Gruenewald and her family life changed, they were forced to leave their home and go to internment camps meant for Japanese Americans. During the time Gruenewald was in imprisonment she dealt with the struggle for survival both physical and mental. This affected Gruenewald great that she would say to herself “Am I Japanese?
Matsuda’s memoir is based off of her and her family’s experiences in the Japanese-American internment camps. Matsuda reveals what it is like during World War II as a Japanese American, undergoing family life, emotional stress, long term effects of interment, and her patriotism and the sacrifices she had to make being in the internment camps. Everyone living in Western section of the United States; California, Oregon, of Japanese descent were moved to internment camps after the Pearl Harbor bombing including seventeen year old Mary Matsuda Gruenewald and her family. Matsuda and her family had barely any time to pack their bags to stay at the camps. Matsuda and her family faced certain challenges living in the internment camp.
In the novel “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang (2006), it talks about three different people’s stories. The author starts off with telling a story about a monkey called the Monkey King, who lives in the jungle, seeking for higher power to become considered a god in the book. The author also tells a story about an American born Chinese boy named Jin Wang, who moves from San Francisco and struggles with fitting in at a new school. The last story the author tells is about a boy named Danny who has his cousin Chin-Kee from China visit every year. Danny ends up struggling to keep his reputation in adequate shape at school after his cousin visits causing him to switch schools often.
In Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford the structure could be defined as an epic hero structure, because Henry Lee faces many trials and tribulations with the help of an older mentor; and gains self knowledge as well as a new insight on Chinese Japanese relations. “ … the hero is given a resource or special gift by an older mentor for use in his or her journey.” (Campbell). “‘No matter what happens to us, Henry, we’re still Americans. And we need to be together… wherever they take us.
This paragraph from Kesaya Noda’s autobiographical essay “Growing Up Asian in America” represents the conflict that the author feels between her Japanese ethnicity, and her American nationality. The tension she describes in the opening pages of her essay is between what she looks like and is judged to be (a Japanese woman who faces racial stereotypes) versus what she feels like and understands (life as a United States citizen). This passage signals her connection to Japan; and highlights her American upbringing. At this point in the essay, Noda is unable to envision her identity as unified and she describes her identity as split by race.
African Americans on the battle front are put into segregated divisions, whereas Native Americans dealt with compliment racism or unintentional racism. Chinese Americans were concerned with being accused of being Japanese, while the Japanese Americans tried to prove they were American too. Throughout his book, Takaki demonstrates the varying levels of racism experienced, and how hard work and perseverance helped these groups prove themselves to some degree. Takaki claims, all of these minorities groups, gained some form of freedom and equality either through the military or through job opportunities and improvements.
Edgar Allen Poe, a brilliant author, once said, “Years of love have been forgot, In the hatred of a minute.” In the novel Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford, several characters encounter this type of conflict, specifically the main character Henry. Throughout the novel, several conflicts occur, and the time frame of the setting emphasizes these conflicts. This novel takes place during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which was an attack by the Japanese.
Were they in those camps during the war?’ And sometimes there were phrases or nicknames: ‘Lotus Blossom.’ I was sometimes addressed or referred to as racially Japanese, sometimes as Japanese-American, and sometimes as an Asian woman.” said Kesaya E. Noda “Even as an adult I can still see two sides of my face and past. I can see from the inside out, in freedom.
narrator thinks of herself as American, not so much Japanese was her friend and the United States government does. Her identity is based on what she likes of her experiences, not so much for heritage. Cisneros 's narrator sees herself as very clearly different from her Mexican grandmother. But others charge for others Mexican
Japanese-Americans living on the west coast were savagely and unjustifiably uprooted from their daily lives. These Japanese-Americans were pulled from their jobs, schools, and home only to be pushed to
In the 1920s and 1930s, a large movement of art and literature took place in the city of Harlem. Many African American authors express their thoughts and ideas through anyway possible. Whether it be music, art, or literature, its impact gave the African Americans a new place in society. One composer of music was very influential to all people. His name is Duke Ellington.