Chapter Summary Of Double Victory By Ronald Takaki

Ronald Takaki is a social historian and is a professor at the University of California, Berkley. He is a professor of ethic studies. In addition to being a professor, he is also a fellow of the Society of American Historians. In his book, Double Victory: A Multicultural of America in World War II, Takaki focuses on the minorities during World War II. Most histories of the Second World War, focus on the politics, battles, or generals and leaders, whereas this book is about the experience of the different minorities in America.

Takaki’s book shows the differences and similarities minority groups experienced during the war. This is not a typical history book, as it is a book that contains different stories and experiences of the war both abroad

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. The war gave them opportunities to show they are capable then what was previously thought. This is one of his strengths as these stories help to explain how the minority groups had different but similar experiences. Or how all of the groups accepted the idea of fighting for the Double V.

Another strength, is the unconventional or nontraditional sources. These are strengths because they help Takaki give an authentic voice of the minorities. The poems used were written by the minorities groups and accurately describe their experiences and feelings. They help the reader understand the thoughts and feelings of the

The reason for this is a lot of these stories are oral histories or simply over exaggerations of the events that transpired. The details while interesting, leave readers skeptical and quick to mistrust the information being given.

Takaki does a good job making the book be entertaining and the stories he tells show the different perspectives the minorities groups have throughout the war, but he does not add any analysis to his stories. This is problematic as it does not help the reader figure out why this is relevant information or what Takaki is trying to portray in his book. He does not try to further explain why…

Even in the later chapters where he does go into detail or better explains things, the chapters still lack analysis. He also does not try to hide his bias about President Truman and believes he dropped the atomic bombs on Japan for racial prejudice and vengeance for Pearl Harbor.

Not factual…facts get stretched and no analyzing…better job clarifying