No-No Boy - Context

No-No Boy takes place in a Japanese-American community immediately after the conclusion of World War II, a global conflict involving numerous nations. In order to grasp the essence of the story, it is crucial to comprehend both Japan's role in the war and the treatment of Japanese-American citizens by the American government.

Japanese immigration to the United States commenced in the late 1860s during the transformative Meiji period in Japan, which marked a transition from feudal isolation to increased Westernization. Over the course of two decades, Japanese immigration to the States remained steady. However, it surged following the implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, which significantly restricted Chinese immigration. Subsequently, immigration from Japan almost entirely halted after the enactment of the Immigration Act of 1924, specifically designed to prevent the entry of non-white individuals into the United States. Despite the barriers, the Issei, the first generation of Japanese immigrants living in the U.S., established their lives and formed families. This led to the emergence of the Nisei, their second-generation children, who often possessed both American and Japanese cultural identities, resulting in distinct generational divisions within the community.

While World War II officially began in 1939, the United States' direct involvement commenced in 1941 following the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese military. Although Germany and Italy were also adversaries of the U.S., it was the Japanese-American population that faced internment measures from the American government. Approximately 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated, supposedly to contain any potential security threats posed by individuals who still maintained loyalty to Japan. This decision, despite the fact that German and Italian Americans also had ties to their countries of origin, primarily targeted Japanese Americans.

Japan's aggressive expansion of territories, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, its mistreatment of prisoners of war, and the perpetration of war crimes, such as the Nanking Massacre, contributed to the global disdain towards Japan after World War II. These actions engendered deep-seated animosity towards the Japanese nation.

In the context of the novel, individuals who responded negatively to questions 27 and 28 of the loyalty questionnaire were labeled "no-no boys" and subsequently imprisoned for the duration of the war. These questions probed whether they were willing to serve in the U.S. armed forces and swear allegiance to the United States, renouncing any loyalty to the Japanese emperor or any other foreign government. Those who answered affirmatively to both questions were permitted to join the military, whereas those who answered negatively to both faced severe consequences. 

Discussion question

How did America's treatment of Japanese Americans during the war - including incarceration camps and the "no-no boy" issue - show hidden problems with loyalty, identity, and discrimination?