No-No Boy
Encyclopedia
No-No Boy is the only novel
published by Japanese American
writer
, John Okada
. It deals with the aftermath of the Japanese American internment
during World War II
. The novel begins as Ichiro Yamada is returning home from prison, and follows him as he struggles to come to terms with his decision of not having joined the army. Yamada experiences intense inner turmoil as he tries to identify why things happened the way they did, why people hate one another, and why he acted the way he did.
The title refers to Japanese Americans who answered 'no' to the following two questions, when asked by the United States government on a 1943 Leave Clearance Application Form administered to Interned Japanese Americans.
Both questions were confusing in different ways. Many respondents thought that by answering yes to the first question, they were signing up for the draft. Others, given the circumstances of the questions—in which Americans of Japanese descent were held in internment camps -- said no to resist the draft. The second question implied that the respondent, most of whom were American citizens, had already sworn allegiance to the Japanese emperor. Many respondents saw this question as a trap, and rejected the premise by answering no. Afterwards, many of those who answered "No" were thrown into Federal Prison.
by Ken Narasaki
i 2009. The play had its world premiere on March 26, 2010 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California
.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
published by Japanese American
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, John Okada
John Okada
John Okada was a Japanese-American writer. Born in Seattle, Washington, he was a student at the University of Washington when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Okada and his family were interned at Minidoka in 1942...
. It deals with the aftermath of the Japanese American internment
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The novel begins as Ichiro Yamada is returning home from prison, and follows him as he struggles to come to terms with his decision of not having joined the army. Yamada experiences intense inner turmoil as he tries to identify why things happened the way they did, why people hate one another, and why he acted the way he did.
The title refers to Japanese Americans who answered 'no' to the following two questions, when asked by the United States government on a 1943 Leave Clearance Application Form administered to Interned Japanese Americans.
- "Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered?"
- "Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, to any other foreign government, power or organization?"
Both questions were confusing in different ways. Many respondents thought that by answering yes to the first question, they were signing up for the draft. Others, given the circumstances of the questions—in which Americans of Japanese descent were held in internment camps -- said no to resist the draft. The second question implied that the respondent, most of whom were American citizens, had already sworn allegiance to the Japanese emperor. Many respondents saw this question as a trap, and rejected the premise by answering no. Afterwards, many of those who answered "No" were thrown into Federal Prison.
Play adaptation
The novel was adapted as a stage play of the same titleNo-No Boy (play)
No-No Boy is a play written by Ken Narasaki adapted from the novel of the same title by John Okada, originally produced at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California, in association with Timescape Arts Group. It is a drama in two acts...
by Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki
Ken Narasaki is a Sansei playwright and actor. He is the former Literary Manager at East West Players theatre company in Los Angeles...
i 2009. The play had its world premiere on March 26, 2010 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.