No-No Boy Audiobook By John Okada, Ruth Ozeki cover art

No-No Boy

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No-No Boy

By: John Okada, Ruth Ozeki
Narrated by: David Shih
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First published in 1956, No-No Boy was virtually ignored by a public eager to put World War II and the Japanese internment behind them. It was not until the mid-1970s that a new generation of Japanese American writers and scholars recognized the novel's importance and popularized it as one of literature's most powerful testaments to the Asian American experience.

No-No Boy tells the story of Ichiro Yamada, a fictional version of the real-life "no-no boys". Yamada answered "no" twice in a compulsory government questionnaire as to whether he would serve in the armed forces and swear loyalty to the United States. Unwilling to pledge himself to the country that interned him and his family, Ichiro earns two years in prison and the hostility of his family and community when he returns home to Seattle.

As Ozeki writes, Ichiro's "obsessive, tormented" voice subverts Japanese postwar "model-minority" stereotypes, showing a fractured community and one man's "threnody of guilt, rage, and blame as he tries to negotiate his reentry into a shattered world".

©1976 Dorothy Okada (P)2018 Tantor Americas Asian American Studies Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Social Sciences Specific Demographics State & Local United States World Literature Heartfelt Imperial Japan Japanese American

Featured Article: 10 Audiobooks to Listen to on the Day of Remembrance


In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, mandating the removal of Japanese Americans from their homes. Nearly 120,000 Japanese immigrants and native born Japanese Americans were imprisoned in concentration camps for the duration of World War II. We need to bear witness to the atrocities committed by the United States government and the pain our leadership caused innocent men, women, and children of Japanese heritage.

Featured Article 10 Audiobooks to Listen to on the Day of Remembrance
Important Historical Account • Rich Cultural Perspective • Excellent Narration • Beautiful Nuanced Writing
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an interesting take on some of the untold history of Japanese Americans in the Northwest during WW2

Another Aspect

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a glimpse at the life of post WWII Japanese Americans on the West Coast of USA. very enlightening. a great and unforgotten story and writer.

thoroughly enjoyed

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Amazing book and a great narration from audible. It’s a shame that this author never got around to his second book. I would have loved to get more from John Okada.

Great book

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Why was this not a part of my American history education? To bad so sad that this great Japanese American writer died so young.

a historical fiction must listen

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Beautifully nuanced development of thought and action of the characters and broad exploration of the political and cultural paradoxes shared by all American immigrants conflicted by their ethnic identity

Classic American story

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I highly enjoyed the narration, but the story itself showed a new light on a piece of history that wasn’t taught in public education.

Riveting

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If John Olkada had not written this book, a huge piece of Japanese-American history would be lacking. I felt very enlightened by his novel. As a school teacher of English and History this enriches what little I know about the internment and those who experienced it first hand. It’s a rich story that gives us a window into those lovely Japanese who were so badly mistreated during WWII.

A Real Page-Turner

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Loved it. I am one more newly educated Sansei because of this book . Fortunate to find this gem

Important History of Japanese in America. Kudos

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Loved the layers and the character development. Quite heavy while rewarding! Sad that his second book will never see the light of day

Beautiful piece of lost art

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Having lived in California during the late 50s and 60s, I can attest to the racism and violence of many Caucasians, during this period. However, there were still good people, as well, which Mr. Okada writes about. He also conveys some of the inter-generational conflicts between 1st and 2nd generation Japanese, in this country. Expressed are some of the differences in outlook among Japanese-Americans. Some desperately want to prove that they were loyal Americans, which can be cringe-worthy. Others were defiant towards a country that imprisons them, and steals all of their property and worldly goods. The conflicts still exist today.

Nuanced novel about Nisei & Sansei

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