Someone may find these opinions radical and controversial. I don’t want to start problems but people fail to realize certain issues in America and are blinded by privilege.

They Called Us Enemy” is a comic that shares the experiences of George, his family, and Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. To some people, they may find these acts surprising, but to the ones who continuously experience systemic racism/oppression, we know the system was built to be against us. The government, including the founding fathers, wanted it this way, or else it would’ve never happened. Do you wonder why older generations are prone to be more racist? Racism isn’t a disease, disorder, or disability, it’s taught and where do you think they learned it from?

Many things come to my mind while reading this comic, relatable things. Yet when POC share their experiences today, we are invalidated or it’s undermined by people who have never and will never deal with systemic oppression. If we compare how POC was treating in the 1900’s vs. now, obviously it’s going to be different. I’m aware my people and I aren’t enslaved like our ancestors were, but that doesn’t mean we’re equal to the white man today either.

I know most of us want change to come because we’re tired of the mistreatment of minorities, but when will it? Like I said in the other paragraphs, the system was built a certain way to dehumanize POC and make sure we have disadvantages in America. Change won’t come because the majority seek value in other’s lives; it’ll come from abolishing specific methodology. Just because one of us was severe justice doesn’t automatically mean the rest of us will. The struggles and death of POC shouldn’t be a necessity for progress.

I don’t want to get too off-topic, but there is so much to cover. So I’m linking a beginners podcast to educating themselves about racism in American and a more advanced reading PDF sample, because what people see is only the tip of the iceberg to what we experience as POC. Just like with George, people only saw what the government wanted them to see. They cast out Japanese people and used propaganda to make sure others don’t see the truth. Yes, these links are targeted for educating white people, but a great listen/read for others to expand their knowledge to also help educate.

https://libjournal.uncg.edu/ijcp/article/viewFile/249/116

I’ve listed a few experiences that came to my mind while reading this comic. I will not be going into detail because this is very dehumanizing and I lose a part of my dignity while sharing.

• Wanted to protest in the streets and share my voice but my father not allowing it because it runs the risk of my life
• Being told specific things from a very young age has impacted me emotionally to not want to represent my culture
• feeling helpless and hopeless about issues
• stares and comments from strangers judging me
• barely any representation

What George went through was tragic, unjust, unreasonable, and adds to the oppression of POC. If you agree with that, understand this, stop sugar-coating our government and what they do to us. They’re against multiple groups in America and white supremacy is the root of it which has overtaken so many of our systems.