It was really interesting to see how culture was dealt with
in this novel. Usually when immigrant cultures are in the United States it is
not uncommon to hear how they lose a sense of their native culture and
traditions. Usually this results in the individual or family becoming more
"Americanized" and experience a shift more towards American/European
religions and traditions. The most interesting part of "When The Emperor
Was Divine" is that there was a slight shift towards more American
lifestyles but there was also a large push to be more "Chinese".
Mainly, this was due to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was
known that the Japanese military was responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor
which leads to the discrimination and hatred towards the Japanese culture in
America. This made many Japanese individuals and families try to become more
"Chinese" and even children were told that, if asked, they should say
that they are Chinese. It was really interesting because this is probably one
of the few times that a group of individuals tried to take on a different
identity that still wasn't part of the popular culture. This is probably one of
the very few times this has happened in the United States that is also openly
talked about such as in novels like this one; a novel based off of true events
in history.
The loss of one's culture that differs from the one they live in can be found throughout history. People adopt the "normal" culture that exists out of fear of being repressed and a desire to feel equal. In Lakota Woman, Crow Dog's mother desires her child to assimilate to 'white culture.' Even in the early gay rights movements in New York, men dressed in suits and women dressed in skirts because of fear and a desire to feel equal when they were on the streets protesting. I just saw a PBS documentary on the Stonewall Riots and saw this connection.
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