Gaijin: American Prisoner of War

by Matt Faulkner

With a white mother and a Japanese father, Koji Miyamoto quickly realizes that his home in San Francisco is no longer a welcoming one after Pearl Harbor is attacked. And once he's sent to an internment camp, he learns that being half white at the camp is just as difficult as being half Japanese on the streets of an American city during WWII. Koji's story, based on true events, is brought to life by Matt Faulkner's cinematic illustrations that reveal Koji struggling to find his place in a tumultuous world-one where he is a prisoner of war in his own country.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Historical, War, World War II

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2014

About the author

Matt is married to author and children’s librarian, Kris Remenar, and lives with their children in Michigan.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart breaking story of a young boy who is half Japanese and half Caucasian. Koji Miyamoto is just a normal boy who turns thirteen on 12/7/41 - and then his world changes. His father has gone back to Japan and this makes him the target of government suspicion. His mother does not have to go to the 'camp' with him but does. When he gets to The Alameda Downs Assembly Center the other boys start to bully him. The boys start to insult his mother because she is Caucasian and Koji starts to get in trouble. Important story with fatatic art.

[Dov Zeller · Rating 3 out of 5]

While World War II America is often portrayed in super-heroic terms, there was a lot of shady business going on. Gaijin brings to life in graphic form, I believe for the first time, a bit of this horrifying American history -- the imprisonment of Japanese Americans in internment camps after Pearl Harbor and through the end of the war.

Gaijin opens with a gorgeous two-page spread, the Golden Gate bridge bird's eye view, dotted with foggy clouds and soaked in the blues of sky and water. Gulls fly toward us. Cars and trucks cross the bridge, smaller than dimes, driving in and out of the fog. A chronologically appropriate airplane flies not too far above the bridge, and just above it sits one caption, reading: "Sunday, December 7, 1941. San Francisco, CA. It's Koji Miyamoto's 13th birthday."

Koji, protagonist of "Gaijin", San Francisco resident and the son of a white mother and Japanese father, doesn't get to enjoy his birthday for long. A few panels into the book he turns on the radio and hears that Pearl Harbor has been attacked by Japan. He's flabbergasted and flummoxed. "I don't get it. Why would they attack Pearl Harbor? It's out in the middle of nowhere." His mother looks very worried and, with equal innocence admits she has no clue. Immediately Koji begins to worry about his father, who is in Japan taking care of his own sick father. "Could he be one of the fighter pilots?" He asks his mom. And his mother remarks a bit questionably "Are you kidding? He can barely ride in a train car, let alone fly a plane."

That night Koji dreams anxiously of his father as fighter pilot. He can't comprehend what it means for his father to be in Japan at a time when Japan is attacking America. He seems to almost wonder, does he really know his father at all? Is it possible his father is attacking America and therefore, attacking him?

These dream sequences come up often in the book and I appreciate the work they do in this story, shedding both a humorous and sober light on Koji's troubled inner world, while at the same time offering him a moments of connection with his beloved father. In Koji's daily life we often don't get that emotional richness because he spends most of his time defending himself against the hostility of peers, police, bus drivers.

Before long, Koji and his mother are interned in a camp. The events leading up to this are stressful for Koji and his mother and their dynamic around it, their relationship in general, is a bit confusing to me. I'm not sure what the author was going for. Maybe he was trying to show that in some ways, even though what they are going through together is extraordinary, they are still going through the typical struggles parents and their teenagers go through? But I didn't find it so believable and I wasn't reading a story so much as a series of dramatic scenes meant to highlight some of the more difficult parts and seminal moments of their pre-internment experience.

We witness their great losses, of status, home, any accumulated wealth. At least once they arrive at the camp there seems to be some possibility of relief from social persecution. Finally the kids his age won't call him names and accuse him of being their mortal enemy on a daily basis. But as it turns out, Koji is treated as a foreigner and enemy in the camp, too, because his mother is white. The other kids call him "Gaijin", a derogatory word meaning "foreigner."

Once in the camp we meet Mr. Asai, who helps Koji and his mother adjust and offers support. He is the archetypal wise, grandfatherly type, taking Gaijin under his wing. Still, Koji spends his days in a perpetual state of frustration and fury as the other kids pick on him and call his mother a floozy. He goes into rages a lot as he wonders if his mother really is a floozy and if she is cheating on his father with white officers patrolling the camp. He starts to hang out with the teenagers even though they're jerks and make him do dangerous things. And then some stuff happens. And then, the book abruptly ends.

While the art in this book is fantastic, and the subject matter important, the story is frustratingly under-developed. The characters don't fully come to life, and during Koji's time in the first camp (at the end of the book they are to be moved to another one), "Gaijin" is overly focused on Koji's obsession with his mother's fidelity to his father. Clearly Koji is going through a lot, but the book shows his fury in a kind of haphazard and unprocessed way and the events can feel repetitive and undirected. Though there are several smaller story arcs, there isn't really a big one pulling this all together.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japanese internment story based on the author/artist's own great-aunt's story. She was Irish, married a guy who was Japanese, they faced discrimination wherever they went as they had a "mixed" or "gaijin" son. Graphic history/memoir would work with any teaching unit on internment… and is complicated because of the mixed race issue and the fact the boy is very, very (and appropriately) angry, and acts out in his rage… so the ugliness happens all around, and is not swept under the carpet to create a romanticized vision of the situation. Maybe the most interesting thing about it, besides the lovely illustrations, is the fact that Faulkner pieced this story together after he had first heard about it. That was reminiscent for me of Ann Marie Fleming's memoir of her great grandfather The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam, who was Chinese and experienced discrimination, and further discrimination as he married a white woman… This story is not as complex or layered as that one, as this one is intended for middle grade and ya audiences. I liked it quite a bit. Maybe 3.5, rounding up to 4….

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book blurb: With a white mother and a Japanese father, Koji Miyamoto quickly realizes that his home in San Francisco is no longer a welcoming one after Pearl Harbor is attacked.

I do believe this is the first graphic novel I've read that portrayed the Japanese interment camps, and explored some of what Japanese Americans endured right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This is an important part of American history, and Koji's coming of age angst weaves well into the historical backdop. The art in this book is wonderful, but ultimately, I was frustrated at the lack of depth in this story - it merely skims the surface. Given that this is a graphic novel targeted at middle grade readers, I guess that makes sense, but this adult reader wanted more.

That being said, this graphic memoir/historical fiction book be a good introduction to this history for kids and adults alike.

[Sarah Donovan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, I do. I am reading as a middle school teacher and feel responsible to put 'good' books around them. The images are beautiful, powerful, but the narration is missing nuance and layer for middle schoolers, I think. I feel like the ending was abrupt. I went back thinking I missed pages, and in a way, I liked that Faulkner trusted the reader to fill in the gap. And I wonder about the mom's plot line?

I will buy a copy and encourage conversations about what is and is not in the visual and textual art. I think it will prompt further inquiry into other books and stories representing an unimaginable time in our history with its palpable residue in humanity today.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important story, stunning artwork. Intense subject matter. So glad it exists. Read it thinking I might booktalk it to elementary kids this summer, but didn't end up doing that. Might be a better candidate for middle schoolers next January.

[Miya (severe pain struggles, slower at the moment) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though this is a children's book it is a pretty heartbreaking graphic novel. It is kept on the more simple side being that its age range is 8-12. There is only so much a child can handle. I am thankful that the story, which is based on true events, was told in a way that almost all ages can get something from it. Many people didn't know that even if you were part Japan, you still were forced into camps. Those who were parents of mixed children went even if they were not Japanese. The topic of being mixed is one that means a lot to me. It is not talked about a lot, but this resonated with me a lot. The artwork is unique and wonderful. This is great for kids who are interested in the history of Japanese internment and adults as well. It would be perfect to open conversations in a classroom.

[Louise · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author has done a good job of envisioning what life in the internment camps looked like. The story and the art work show the lack of preparation for moving thousands of people to a new home.

The sadness of this episode of history is compounded by a sadder story of how the"gaigin" is treated. He does not assess his situation and his reactions are mostly hostile.

The ending, which has the only (somewhat) positive episode is not well transitioned from the story... it is rushed.

I believe this is aimed at young adults, but I see little here to help them understand the period.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visually stunning, this graphic novel brings to life an important time in American history. At the same time, it's a fantastic coming-of-age story as Koji, half-Japanese and half-Irish, struggles to fit in. Beautiful and powerful. LOVE!!!

[Deyanira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeez, those graphics gave me life!

[Ethan Z C1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shows how the Japanese people in America had to be relocated to a camp because of Pearl Harbor. The government thinks they are spying on them and many people call them mean names. At the camp there were guards watching 24/7. People there had limited housing space and and materials. Koji, the main character demonstrated how a person's life is in the relocation camp.

[Kristen Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gaijin was one of my favorite graphic novels I read for the CYBILs award panel. Taking place during World War II, it’s from the perspective of a half-Japanese teenager who is forced from his home with his mother to live in an internment camp. Suffering from bullying by the other teens in the camp, Koji finds himself trying to fit into the gang and getting into even more trouble. His mother is doing her hardest to stay strong for their family, but Koji seems to think that the men in the camp are taking advantage of her and says some cruel words.

I feel like this part of history is somewhat our dirty little secret here in the United States. While it’s not necessarily left out of the history books, it feels like we did something so similar to the Germans during this war that it is a topic that leaves many uncomfortable. Racism still exists today and it’s sad to look back on this time in history and know what we did was wrong. Suspecting people just because of their race does not justify the cruelty we put our Japanese Americans through during this time period.

The story is well written and the graphic design is amazing. I find Gaijin to be an overall appealing graphic novel that will introduce the topic to middle grade and teen readers who may not realize what it was like to be placed in one of these internment camps.

Verdict:
With stunning visual design, this graphic novel transports you back in history, living as a teenager during a turbulent time in America.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faulkner's artwork in this work of coming-of-age historical fiction is extraordinary, and could nearly convey the whole story without the assistance of dialogue. An afterword provides stirring personal context for this story of internment of Japanese-Americans in World War II, and the whole project is quite timely with the debut of George Takei's musical "Allegiance." This would complement the classic Farewell to Manzanar beautifully as an entry text for learning about this period of American history, as well as Faulkner's earlier A Taste of Colored Water in a broader study of segregation and intolerance through the eyes of the young.

[Sue Thornquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't do much for me, maybe even more of a 2.5. Visually pretty well done, but a fairly simplistic story even though it's based on real people and events. It felt more appropriate for junior high age group than high schoolers and because that was the lens through which I was reading, it probably affected my judgment of it. In comparison to David Small's graphic novel Stitches or Gene Yang's American Born Chinese, it was disappointing--not nearly as thought-provoking or layered.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'd give this this 4.5 stars just because it is a story, quite real and quite true, beautifully illustrated and made me really angry. his use of font size, placement and choice reminded me of virginia lee burton.
important reading, should be in every jr. high and high school library in the u.s. should be in their history classrooms.

[Mary Ann]

Need to reread this and get some kids' reactions.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japanese-American Koji Miyamoto is celebrating his 13th birthday in San Francisco, California on December 7, 1941. That same day, Japanese pilots flew over Pearl Harbor, on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, dropping bombs on an American Naval Station, immediately and forever changing the life of Koji and all Japanese-Americans across the US. Almost overnight, it seems as if everyone Koji formerly interacted with suddenly turns vehemently racist, hating anyone with even the smallest amount of Japanese blood. Koji finds himself enduring slurs from classmates, being blocked from riding trolleys home, even being pulled aside and interrogated by police. San Francisco also starts a city-wide curfew, but it's only applicable to Japanese-American citizens, requiring them to be inside their homes by 6 pm every night. Also, all radios are confiscated from Japanese homes.

Koji and his Caucasian mother have to endure all this alone, as Koji's father months before was called back home to Japan to attend to a family matter and has yet to return. At least that's what he told his wife, but now she is being cornered by police with heated remarks about them suspecting her husband of spy activity. Just when Koji feels it can't get any worse, Koji's mother gets a letter calling for Koji to be sent to a nearby internment camp for all Japanese-American citizens. Relocation required, length of stay indefinite. Koji's mother, though not Japanese herself, cannot allow her son to be sent off by himself so decides to be boarded with him. They are shocked to find that their new "home" is situated on Alameda Downs, a former horse racing track. Each family got one barely cleaned stall, often still reeking of horse urine or excrement. Yes, they were made to bunk in the actual stalls the horses were kept in -- whole families!

Though this was a painful read, in that it is a reminder that this was an actual event in U.S. history, I still immensely enjoyed it. First off, the artwork is stunning. While the majority of Faulkner's illustrations here are scenes of sadness and enraged characters, he does powerfully and successfully portray movement and emotions within the thrown-together community at Alameda Downs.

I think it's also successful in introducing the topic to younger readers who have not learned of this time in history yet, or have maybe found that their particular school system has white-washed the history a bit. While this graphic novel in no way serves as a complete history on the subject, it gives a realness to it, helps readers imagine what the reality might have felt like from the perspective of one specific individual. Faulkner also works in some facts & figures to teach readers, but does it in a natural way that doesn't interfere with the pace of the story itself. For instance, he mentions that more than 8,000 Japanese-Americans were sent to internment camps, 2/3 of them being American citizens by birth. Of those, more than half were children!!

At the end, Faulkner reveals that the inspiration for this work comes from a story within his own family tree of an Irish woman who fell in love with and married a Japanese man and later had experiences similar to that illustrated in Gaijin. I highly recommend this one to all history buffs or maybe parents looking to boost their child's interest in history. It's an important bit of history that needs to be remembered so that we never become stupid enough to try it again.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Koji Miyamoto, 13, his American mom and Japanese dad have been living a quiet life in San Francisco. But when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 all that changes immediately. Koji secretly fears his father may have been part of the attack since he was in Japan when it happened taking care of his sick father. At school, he is picked on by a group of bullies, the trolley operator won't let him on the board and the government has taken away the family radio, insinuating that all Japanese are spies.

Finally, Koji's mom receives a letter saying that he is to be sent to a "relocation camp" which is nothing more than the Alameda Downs, a former racetrack. His mother decides to go with him, but because she is white, not Japanese, she and the camp commander become friends. Koji, who is called Gaijin (outsider) by the other Japanese boys finds himself getting bullied by them. After getting caught fighting, an elderly old family friend man, Yoshi Asai, takes Koji under his wing. But after the two create a Victory Garden, the bullies go after it night after night.

Koji finds himself getting more and more angry as the days go by, at the government for putting them in horse stables and then treating them like they are all criminals; at the bullies for making him feel like he doesn't belong anywhere. Pretty soon a rift develops between Koji and his mom, fueled by the bullies repeatedly calling her the camp floozy.

The bullies set up all kinds of dangerous tasks for Koji to do with the promise of belonging as his reward. As the tasks get riskier, Koji faces the possibility of being sent to a very unpleasant correction facility alone. Is his desire to belong or his anger so great that his is willing to risk that fate? Or can the gentle elderly Mr. Yoshi Asai help keep Koji from getting into more trouble?

Gaijin: American Prisoner of War is based on a true story from author/illustrator Matt Faulkner's family, as he explains at the end of the story, making it personal and affecting. Using the graphic novel format, allows the reader to see the anger, confusion, fear, all the understandable feelings of a young man forced to live the way the Miyamoto's were, and being treated like an enemy alien because of his race, not his citizenship.

The illustrations are done using watercolor and gouache in rich vibrant colors very reminiscent of the early 1940s. Gouache is the perfect medium for this graphic novel, with its large bold energetic images, sometimes only one to a pages, other times as many as five. Much of the story comes through the illustrations, with little text but together they really capture every humiliating element of the internment of the Japanese in WWII.

The more I read graphic novels, the more I appreciate them. When they are done well, as Gaijin is, they can be a way of introducing difficult topics to young readers and may serve as a way to interest reluctant readers.

Another excellent book about this still not widely known about part of American history.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was bought for my personal library

This review was originally posted at The Children's War

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I made a list of ten birthday presents to give to Koji Miyamoto, the thirteen-year-old boy from the story; they would be gifts he could use while he was forced to live in the “assembly center” during World War II.

Gift One: A Small Radio. He could use it to keep up with what’s happening in the outside world and to listen to his favorite show, The Lone Ranger.

Gift Two: Wool Blankets. During the first, night Koji and his mother wake up in the middle of night because they were freezing. These two blankets will keep both of them warm and healthy from the colder nights ahead.

Gift Three: Box of Omaha Steaks. On the first day Koji and his mother were heading to the mess-hall, he jokingly said “I’m gonna have a big, juicy steak,” and this gift can make his wish come true.

Gift Four: Lone Ranger Hat. The radio show was something he really enjoyed, so a cowboy hat might lift his spirits, plus it will keep the sun off his face and neck while he’s gardening.

Gift Five: Deck of Cards. This gift is just to pass the boredom he might be going through. There is like 50 card games one can play with a deck of cards. He also might stay out of trouble more, if he’s got something to have fun with.

Gift Six: Text Books, ones dedicated for reading, writing, and arithmetic. They hadn’t set up a middle school program for young teenagers to attend. This way he won’t get behind in his studies.

Gift Seven: Fruit and Vegetable Seeds, from the book it seemed like they only had carrot seeds, so I would like to send Koji more options to plant in the garden that he built with Mr. Yoshi Asai.

Gift Eight: First Aid Kit, because he was always getting into fights with the local street gang of teenage boys, and because he twisted his right ankle.

Gift Nine: The Novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.” I feel like he could sympathize with the story since it was set during the Great Depression and it’s about a family that was driven from their home, just like he was.

Gift Ten: Stamps; Koji was always thinking and dreaming of what his father might be doing in Japan. This way he can now write to his father, try to reconnect with him and put his mind at ease.

[RKanimalkingdom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gaijin covers the story of a young 13 yo boy who is half American and half Japanese.
The story covers the situation and treatment of Japanese Americans during WW2 when Pearl Harbour was attacked.

Spectacular art work, however, the plot was too simplistic.

It felt like the artist was checking off a list of requirements: a young angry boy, harassment from cops and civilians, the teacher-old man, etc, etc

I guess you could say that this was a book to introduce the history of Japanese Internment to younger audiences but there were small moments that made it seem like this is more for 13/14 yo and if it was then this book is definitely not being held up to the skill level of a teen reader. What I mean is there were themes that were just touched on. Just tapped and then the reader is forced to move on. For ex, Koji has to deal with being told by the white community that because he's half Japanese it means he's not white and they call all sorts of nasty things such as squinty eyes. Yet, when he moved to the internment prison camp he is told by the young boys that he is a Gaijin because he is half white. They then insult him by making suggestions that his mother is "fooling" around with the camp soldiers. This theme of not belonging anywhere was a great theme to bring up but it never goes anywhere. Faulkner doesn't do anything or try to tell the reader anything about this issue. And this is repeated with every theme.

The ending was also very weird because you are brought up to this huge cliffhanger leaving the reader wondering what will happen and then you skip to after the war ends and that moment there completely destroys all the tension a couple of pages before.

I did like the way Faulkner handled Koji dealing with his father who is serving in the Japanese army. It was sweet but lacking. That's kind of what the entire novel was.

[Meepelous · Rating 2 out of 5]

Possibly one of most disappointing reads so far this year, flipping through this book I had a lot of high hopes. This is an important part of American History and the artistic style is not something I see in graphic novels every day - it intrigued me! And not to say that the art really isn't skilled, or that the story is complete crap or deals with the material in an offensive or unacceptable way, it's just a mess.

Looking through the author's biography in the back of the book, I'm not really surprised that things went the way they did. Matt Faulkner obvious has a lot of talent, but you can tell that all he's written to this point are Children's Picture books. Not to knock picture books, but they are a completely different medium and this being in the teen section - even the youngest in that demographic are pretty far removed from his previous work.

To be perhaps overly specific, the frames were too large, the text was too big, the end felt extremely rushed and none of the characters felt really fleshed out. The bullies in particular felt like caricatures that were fulfilling a role and not actual people. Faulkner (and or his publishers) also doesn't seem to have a clear idea why this is a teen story. Besides the rather random accusations that his mother is cheating on his father, there is nothing in here that strikes me terribly T rated. Personally, I think the book would have worked much better as an all ages picture book.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaijin, American Prisoner of War by Matt Faulkner – Graphic Novel – High School – This is one of the most powerful graphic novels I’ve read in a long while. It introduces a young man, Koji, who just learned that Pearl Harbor has been bombed. His father is away caring for family in Japan. His mother receives notice that Koji who is half Japanese is being sent to an internment camp. His mother joins him on this move losing most of the family’s belongings in the process. Koji is treated poorly by other young men at the internment camp because he is half white and half Japanese. He has many issues that arise with those teens. The illustrations in this book are so very powerful. I loved reading and watching how Koji grows up and learns how to be himself and accept that he knows how to act in the right way, even when he’s scared. Highly recommended.

[Patricia Tsune · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, half Japanese, Koji and his white mom are left with a choice to be separated while Koji is sent to an internment camp or to stay together. Koji's dad is in japan caring for his elderly parents when all this happens. Koji and his mom decide to stay together. Being half-white in the camp proves to be just as difficult as being half Japanese on the streets of San Francisco. This graphic novel is based on the artist's own great-aunt and what she endured to stay with her family. The illustrations are beautifully done, the text sparse and yet the pain, humanity and emotion are all conveyed clearly.

[Tightlywound · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book with stunning pictures but the ending doesn’t feel finished. When I was reading I kept counting down the pages and thinking ‘This can’t be it. There has to be more to this story.’ If it hadn’t been a children’s book, I would have checked the back for where it listed a sequel. I guess that’s the point though, it is a children’s book, so they didn’t have to go in-depth. Still I think it could have been way more than it was and still have been relatable and not too mature for children.

[Patrick Funge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaijin: American Prisoner of war, is a book about the camps for the Japanese in America during world war 2. In the beginning, Gaijin thinks that the camp is hard to get use to because he can't find his father, but later he gets use to the changes.

Gaijin: American prisoner of war was a cool and interesting book. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes comics and history.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful graphic novel based on the author's family. Set in San Francisco at the start of the war, the story follows Nissei Koji and his American mother as they are moved to an internment camp. Great art and excellent story.

[Dominique Mendez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic novel about the Japanese relocation camps during WWII. One of the few graphic novels about this subject, it gives the reader insight into what life was like for children and teens growing up in this type of environment.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A searing book with fierce visuals spotlighting the racist American Goverment internment of its Japanese citizens through the eyes of a boy with a Japanese father and a Caucasian mother.

[Emily Scheinman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story. It opened a discussion at the dinner table tonight about war and peace and our collective humanity.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was very interesting