They Called Us Enemy Character Analysis

George Takei

George Takei is the author and protagonist of the memoir. George is only five when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor and the U.S. declares war on Japan. Months later, the Takei family is incarcerated in… read analysis of George Takei

Daddy/Takekuma Norman Takei

Daddy is George, Henry, and Nancy Reiko’s father and Mama’s husband. Though Daddy was born in Japan, he spends most of his life in the United States. Due to discriminatory immigration… read analysis of Daddy/Takekuma Norman Takei

Mama

Mama is George, Henry, and Nancy Reiko’s mother and Daddy’s wife. A Nisei, Mama was born in Sacramento—but to save her from attending segregated schools, her father sent her to… read analysis of Mama

Henry Takei

Henry is George’s little brother and Mama and Daddy’s middle child. He and George are extremely close, both emotionally and in age (though the memoir never states outright how old Henry is, he… read analysis of Henry Takei

Nancy Reiko Takei

George’s little sister, Nancy Reiko is only months old when soldiers escort the Takei family from their home and place them in internment camps. She grows from an infant in Mama’s arms to… read analysis of Nancy Reiko Takei

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd president of the United States, President Roosevelt served from 1933 until his death in 1945 and was president during World War II. Though FDR is generally considered a very popular past president, They… read analysis of President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Earl Warren

At the time of Pearl Harbor, Earl Warren is the attorney general for the state of California. But he desperately wants to become the state’s governor, and he believes that stoking fear of Japanese Americans… read analysis of Earl Warren

Eleanor Roosevelt

As President Roosevelt’s spouse, Eleanor Roosevelt is the first to address the nation after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. She assures Americans that the U.S. will emerge victorious and, after… read analysis of Eleanor Roosevelt

Wayne Collins

Wayne Collins, a Californian lawyer, dedicates many years to fighting for Japanese Americans’ rights during and after World War II. He first challenges the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which legalized incarcerating Japanese Americans in… read analysis of Wayne Collins

Fletcher Bowron

Mr. Bowron is the mayor of Los Angeles in the early 1940s. After the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor in 1941, Mr. Bowron testifies in front of Congress on the matter of what to do about… read analysis of Fletcher Bowron

Lt. General John L. DeWitt

An officer of the United States Army, DeWitt is one of the most vocal supporters of Japanese internment. He oversees the Western Defense Command (the part of the U.S. Army responsible for overseeing defense of… read analysis of Lt. General John L. DeWitt

Florence

Florence is a young Japanese American woman at Rohwer whom Daddy engages to work as his secretary. She’s efficient and good-natured, and she doesn’t get angry with George when he presses keys on her typewriter… read analysis of Florence

Ford and Chevy

Ford and Chevy are two brothers that George and Henry meet at Camp Rohwer. Ford is about 13; Chevy is a bit younger. Together, they play a trick on George and Henry by giving them… read analysis of Ford and Chevy

Senator Daniel K. Inouye

Though Daniel Inouye is perhaps best known for his work as a senator from Hawaii, he served during World War II in the 442nd regiment (the segregated, all-Nisei regiment comprised of interned Japanese Americans… read analysis of Senator Daniel K. Inouye

Herbert Nicholson

A Quaker missionary, Mr. Nicholson believes from the beginning that internment is wrong. He dedicates much of his time during World War II to driving boxes of books to internment camps for Japanese Americans incarcerated… read analysis of Herbert Nicholson

Mrs. Rugen

Mrs. Rugen is George’s fourth grade teacher. She’s chilly and rude to George, ignoring him in class and punishing him for minor infractions on the playground. Eventually, George overhears her referring to him by… read analysis of Mrs. Rugen

Mr. Gene Roddenberry

Mr. Roddenberry is the creator of the TV show Star Trek. When George has a meeting with him to discuss his prospective role in the show, Roddenberry impresses George with his openness, kindness, and… read analysis of Mr. Gene Roddenberry

Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Justice Sonia Sotomayor is a Supreme Court Justice. In 2018, she wrote a scathing dissenting opinion in Trump v. Hawaii, the court case that upheld the so-called Muslim travel ban. In her dissent, Justice… read analysis of Justice Sonia Sotomayor

Minor Characters

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King is a major figure of the Civil Rights Movement. George meets Dr. King when the cast of Fly Blackbird! performs before Dr. King’s speech in Los Angeles. Meeting Dr. King is a meaningful experience for George, as Dr. King is kind, supportive, and inspirational.

President Reagan

President Ronald Reagan was the American president from 1981-1989. In 1998, he signed the bill stating that the U.S. government would issue apologies and $20,000 to living victims of the internment camps.

Fred Korematsu

Fred Korematsu is a young Japanese man who initially refuses to leave when the military orders him to relocate out of an exclusion zone. His case eventually makes it to the Supreme Court, which upholds the military’s decision to discriminate against Korematsu and other Japanese Americans.

Nichelle Nichols

Though George first meets Nichelle backstage after a production of Fly Blackbird!, the two become even more connected several years later when Nichelle is also cast in Star Trek as Lieutenant Uhuru.

Adlai Stevenson

Adlai Stevenson ran for president twice, in 1952 and 1956. Both times, President Eisenhower defeated him. George and Daddy volunteer for Mr. Stevenson’s 1952 campaign in California, and George describes Stevenson as a compelling speaker.

President Clinton

President Clinton was president from 1993-2001. He bestowed the Medal of Honor on surviving veterans of the 442nd regiment.

Fred Ishimoto

Fred Ishimoto is George’s agent when George begins working in TV. He arranges for George to meet with Mr. Roddenberry about acting in the show Star Trek.

Attorney General Francis Biddle

Francis Biddle is responsible for drafting H.R. 4103, the bill that gives Japanese Americans the “right” to give up their citizenship.

Theodore “Ted” Tamba

Mr. Tamba is a young lawyer and an associate of Wayne Collins. He delivers the news that Mr. Collins is going to be able save Japanese Americans who gave up their citizenship (like Mama) from deportation.

President Obama

George sees President Obama’s election as proof that American democracy works and can do great things, such as elect the first Black president.

They Called Us Enemy Characters