American Japanese National Discrimination in the Novel No-No Boy

The Novel No-No Boy by John Okada Abstract The paper is a book report of the novel No-No Boy by John Okada. This is the only novel written by the author, which was published in 1957. It depicts the aftermaths of the Second World War for Japanese Americans and consequences of the main characters decision not to join the US army. However, the question remains open: who is the biggest traitor: people who renounce their country of origin or the ones who choose to remember it and not associate the government with the cultural heritage. The whole political situation does not leave an option but to betray. One way or another, people betray either their own moral principles or conscience or their close people; either their country of origin or the government of the country they live in. The main character just tries to be loyal to basic human values in this mayhem. Thus, there is a moral search of main characters, the author himself and the whole nation at the background of social and historical events of the Second World War and the social position of Japanese Americans in the USA.