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They Called Us Enemy By Justin Eisinger

696 Words3 Pages

The Vietnam War, starting not too long after the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. On the first of November 1955, after an alleged unprovoked attack from Vietnamese submarines, government officials were dead set on going to war. This ignited a rivalry between Vietnam and America. Officially declared armistice on April 30th, 1975, a war that lasted almost two decades, sparked a major distrust between Americans and foreigners. It caused many political views of the public and officials to shift towards a more exclusive government and many Americans turned on each other, raising questions about the functionality of American society. The war created a great uprising in cynicism toward the government and changed the perspective of Americans in everything they did. During the war, Americans had increasingly questioned the functionality of society, grappling with moral, social, and …show more content…

In “They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, it explains how the perspective of a Japanese American was shaped by experiences of being interned during WWII. This offers a unique lens that displays the broad societal impacts from the conflict (Takei and colleagues). The firsthand experience acts as a primary source that underlines the parallels between the discrimination of Japanese Americans and Vietnamese American discrimination during war. This allowed Americans to reevaluate the beliefs and actions in the context of justice and human rights (Takei and colleagues). The book also ties to other sources, highlighting the war’s role in the contribution to skepticism towards government actions. Takei’s advocacy for governmental transparency regarding the internment camps lays out calls for accountability during wartime. Takei and colleagues like this. This influenced attitudes towards authority and, overall, prompted Americans to critique their own values and

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