When The Emperor Was Divine By Julie Otsuka

In the novel When the Emperor was Divine, Julie Otsuka tells a story which takes place during World War 2. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, every Japanese person or anyone with any Japanese ancestry was taken from their homes and put into internment camps. This novel tells the story of a family that was taken to internment camps during this time period, and what their experiences were like. Marginalization can affect one’s self-esteem to the point where they feel worthless, or feel that they need to change themselves to fit into society. When a person is marginalized or discriminated against, it can cause them to change how they view themselves, and how they act. In When the Emperor was Divine, when the war started, the mother told her kids that they can’t say

While this is how Beyonce acted while on camera, there was a candid video of her where she was “at a pool hall talking trash to one of her friends,” (Demby). When people are in an area of comfort, they aren't scared to show their true selves, but when they are in the eyes of others, it makes it more difficult to stay true to one’s self, as there are many ways for someone to be marginalized and stand out in front of others. That’s why lots of people try to change to fit with the rest of society, they are scared to be treated differently, so they decide to be like everyone else. The article, What Growing Up Indian-American Means to Me Now That I Am Older, by Jill Patel, talks about Jill’s experiences growing up in America as an Indian-American, and all about her good and bad experiences. She states, “The idea that being an Indian-American can be confusing is quite the understatement.It is a combination that seems to leave us feeling as if we don’t belong anywhere.”