Review:

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II, the U.S. government forced over a hundred thousand Japanese Americans to leave their homes and go to internment camps. There was no evidence that any Japanese Americans had conspired with the Japanese army to plan the attack on Pearl Harbor, or that these Americans were any less loyal to their country than Americans of other race. But these Americans, both immigrants from Japan and those born in America, had to live in the camps for almost four years.

Uprooted tells the story of the Japanese internment camps, but it also describes the larger sociopolitical context that allowed the camps to happen. It starts by exploring the history and culture of Japan, as well as the process of Japanese immigration to America. Marrin describes in detail what life was like in the camps – like the fact that some people were housed in converted horse stables, with each family occupying a horse stall. This moving description of a terrible act in American history is a must-read.

Favorite Passage:

Can another uprooting happen? The short answer: Yes. Early in 2014, while discussing this dark chapter in our history, Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia was brutally frank. “It was wrong,” he said, “but I would not be suprised to see it happen again, in time of war. It is no justification, but it is reality.” Scalia knew that in wartime military necessity and national security should not be used to shield government actions from scrutiny. Yet he also knew that Supreme Court justices still “wear epaulets under their robes.” For good or ill, the high court bows to military and political leaders when it comes to crises in national security.
— Chapter 7, Remembering the Past

What I Loved Most:

I feel like I must have learned about the Japanese Internment Camps at some point when I was in school… but I have absolutely no memory of doing so. I remember spending tons of time learning about the Holocaust, Pearl Harbor and other aspects of World War II, but I don’t recall learning about this major thing that happened on American soil in the war. And this seems like something that is really important for all Americans to know about. Our government rounded up a whole group of people and forced them into camps, based on literally nothing but their race. As Americans, we need to know about the mistakes in our past, and use that knowledge to make a better future.

Read this book if you like:

World War II, American history, using the past to inform the future

Book Details:

• Author: Albert Marrin
• Publisher: Knopf Books
• Date of Publication: October 25, 2016
• Age Recommendation: Adult
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• Check out Uprooted on Worldcat to find it at a library near you!