Hakujin

by Helene Gabel Ryan

Hakujin (a Japanese term for white person) is told from the viewpoint of Robin, a young Caucasian whose best friend Kiko is Japanese. When Robin falls in love with Kiko's brother Tadashi, the romance ignites a family feud. Also in feud with her family is Robin's cousin Frannie. When Frannie becomes pregnant out of wedlock, the cousins flee to San Antonio, Texas. Enroute Robin sees a carload of German prisoners, and later as an employee for the USO Travelers Aid Service she types case histories of impoverished farm workers. She is shocked by the treatment of minorities in the South. As the war rages on, her brother flies missions over Germany and Tasashi fights in France with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. When the war in Europe ends, Robin returns home a wiser and more compassionate young woman, financially independent, which was unusual for women of her day, and courageously vocal about prejudice. Helene Ryan's decision to write a novel about the World War II internment of Japanese-Americans stems from her having witnessed their evacuation from Seattle in April 1942.

183 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2005

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

An easy book to read, but not as well written as the Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. This book takes place in WWII Seattle and follows the friendship of a Hakujin (white) woman with a Japanese family. The author is local and has lots of local history to share but the story was not compelling.

[Beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very touching story and it takes place in Seattle.