The Concept of Becoming an American in No-No Boy - Literary Analysis Essay

Introduction

Acquiring American citizenship is an issue that has contributed to various controversies concerning the aspect of one surpassing the challenges of alienation process and the element of people forsaking or seeking to uphold their identity, beliefs, values, and culture. According to no-no-boys, Kenji outlines that he has the quest of a world where there is no animosity and that people live in harmony despite their racial and ethnic differences (Entin 90). On the other hand, the novel On Such a Full Sea also outlines the future projection of how the non-whites living in America will face racial challenges due to forsaking their identity. This paper seeks to make a thematic analysis of No-No Boys concerning aspects of foil the fact that being an American requires an individual to be prepared for worse discrimination and the relevance of sticking to one's identity, their culture, values, and beliefs.

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No-No Boy outlines the kind of life in the American nation in the aspect that outlines how the future projection of the American nation is relative to the fact that there are harsh conditions for native. The system seems to be focusing on neoliberalism which favors whites while resorting to the affirmation that America is for American alone. The foil is portrayed in the novel since it depicts to be concerned with irresponsive behavior concerning caring for the native Americans.

On the other hand, the animosity portrayed against Ichiro med Kenji to hopefully live a life that he hopes one day there will be no animosity that comes up with the fact that humans have a diverse racial look (Entim 90). The miserable life that kanji passed through after he had served in the military for a very long time portrays that being an American involves several issues like denouncing one's race as a way of securing their place in the American nation. Most people denounce their culture and identity to take the American identity as a way of being considered as part of the American government (Entin 90). Indeed, leaving one's birthright does not guarantee a place in the American nation since the whole culture revolves around one concept that America is for Americans alone.

Distancing oneself from their identity does not guarantee them a better life among the American people. Therefore, No-No Boys masterpiece provides a platform for contending that being American does not mean renouncing one's tradition, beliefs, and languages (Entin 89). According to Ichiro, being American involves many aspects since his parents are in America to acquire wealth and let her move back to Japan. However, Ichiro considers America to be used home scenes he was born there, and his lifestyle connotes with the kind of lifestyle that the Americans live. The theme of Japan vs. American identity is widely portrayed like loyalty that Ichiro represents to the American nation. The fact that his parents consider America to be a stepping stone to the wealth acquisition, the theme of Japanese vs. American identity seems to be contrasting with the lifestyle portrayed by Ichiro and his parents. Indeed, one's identity is very vital to the aspects of life that they sort to adopt. The likes of Ichiro shows that one's identity cannot be changed whatsoever with a change of the society they live in for a purpose.

The theme of loyalty shows that forsaking one's identity would mean that the individual is willing to face the rejection that is evident in the American mission concerning racial iniquities and racial wealth gap. Indeed, forsaking one's identity cool translate to signing their discrimination paper since Ichiro was forced to give a service to the Americans in the military but his refusal translated to imprisonment. Even though Ichiro outlined that the aspect of imprisoning him was content the American people looked down upon him in the manner that they described "America is for Americans alone" (Okada ch. 8 para. 6). Indeed, the theme of loyalty offers a better understanding of the need to protect one's identity from full alienation.

Being American does not mean uprooting one's life and becoming alienated fully with the American lifestyle. It is clear that the same injustices that Ichiro faced are similar to the kind of prejudice that fun received after being hit by a car and taken to a community hospital, but no one never disclosed her where about back to the village that she belongs. Indeed, being American does not mean denouncing once identity while anticipating to be considered to be a fully-fledged American citizen. The kind of injustice that No-No Boy novel portrays it is clear that for one to be an American, they have to consider their identity to be a primary concern.

The No-No Boy's novel revolves around the theme of loyalty. For instance, Ichiro is portrayed to be affected with the lack of commitment of the American people even after he was a service person in the military service (Okada ch. 8 paragraph. 9). The united states prove to be impulsive in enhancing loyalty buy imprisoning Japanese American. In that perspective, the question of whether one's commitments to the country supersedes the identity is developed. Secondly, No-No Boy uses generational conflict as a theme to portray how he rose parents maintain their Japanese nationality and by insisting that they are Japanese and not Americans. Also, Ichiro refuses to fight against Japan by outlining that he has two nationalities that are America and Japan since he was born in America while his parents are Japanese. Also, Ichiro feels to be alienated by his mother when he refused to fight against Japan and yet he was born in America and raised in America even though his mother is a Japanese. Thirdly, identity is an important theme that enables Ichiro to be able to identify himself with his race and enables him to fight the conflicts against the team concerning his parents' values and culture.

Additionally, the theme of identity is a vital one in aligning Ichiro's identity and his ways of enhancing and informed manner of upholding his race. Even though Ichiro takes a longer time to find his character, it is clearly shown that an individual has to uphold the relevance of their race by a folding their identity to be better than 'silver or gold.'

The transition of life seems to favor whites and becomes more difficult to the Asian Americans thus proving that the future of the American nation concerning non-white is drastically changing (Okada ch. 6. para. 6). The situations will eventually drive away the non-white from the American nation does proving that being an American does not necessarily mean forsaking one's identity. According to the statement" we make decisions, and there is very little to throttle us" employee that one has to consider their identity to be a priority before seeking to find a better life in a life where free world is not guaranteed (Okada ch. 8 para. 6). Being an American requires to be connected to the people as a way of enhancing their security and better living in a cruel nation (Okada ch. 13 para. 2).

Symbols and objects are also used to communicate concepts in the novel No-No Boy. For instance, Kenji's eleven inches amputated leg shows how the life of native Americans will be affected more with time as the society keeps on alluding to the statement 'America is for Americans alone.' Also, the amputated leg shows that Kenji was unable to walk again because military service subjected him to compromising situations that could not be reversed due to the lack of social amenities in the society he lives in. The symbol of eleven inches amputated leg proves the fact that native Americans should learn that alienation does not guarantee one a better life in the American nation. In that manner, the novel outlines how being American requires one to stick to their cultural identity and to keep in touch with their people for a better life and security.

An individual's language, culture, and belief connect them to their identity and secures their stay while in the American nation. According to the two novels, and individual requires to establish a platform that guarantees there stay in the American nation scenes in all the prospective communicated the people are hostile and are not welcoming the non-Americans who even though they consider themselves to be Americans by birth (Entin 90). It is evident that the novel proves the fact that living in America should not guarantee an individual a full alienation since, with time, the situations in the nation will require them to go back to the nation that their birthright and identity of their parents belong.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the No-No Boy novels imply that white supremacy in the American nation he's the contributor to the unequal measures of opportunities and the predominant challenges which come along racial lines. The mindset of capitalism effects the government that it causes the multiple issues concerning immoral practices against their native Americans. Ichiro portrayed to be the perfect example of the characters who faced multiple challenges concerning being Americans. The figures also provided a platform for concluding that being an American should not guarantee one to be a fully-fledged citizen of the nation. The novel offers a platform for alluding to the fact that it is better for one to maintain their culture, values, beliefs, and way of life instead of fully becoming alienated with the foreign nations culture. Symbols and objects are also used to communicate concepts in the novel No-No Boy. Kenji's eleven inches amputated leg shows how the life of native Americans will be affected more with time as the society keeps on alluding to the statement 'America is for Americans alone.' Therefore, there is a need for the people who seek to be Americans to be ready for anything and they should whatsoever not forsake their culture, believes and values.

Works Cited

Entin, Joseph. "A Terribly Incomplete Thing":" No-No Boy" and the Ugly Feelings of Noir." Melus 35.3 (2010): 85-104.

Okada, John. No-no boy. University of Washington Press, 2014.