Racism is a persistent theme in this novel. Etta was brought up in South Germany in a wheat farm. Even though she is a prejudiced woman she is very hard working and proud. Etta had traditional views and she is set up in her old ways. I believe Etta was raised in a prejudiced house. That’s what she saw growing up and that’s what made her a prejudiced woman. She is very racist and feels that Japanese are below her. Etta talks about Carl Heine her husband who isn’t racist like her. Carl didn’t like the comments Etta would make about the Japanese people he didn’t always agree with her. Carl even told her to SHUT UP! Etta did not like the agreement Carl made with a Japanese man, to sell him the land. Etta did not want her husband Carl to sell the land to a Japanese man. Because she is a racist woman she was very upset over the agreement Carl made. When Carl died she sold the land to a white man ignoring the agreement because she did not want that in the first place.
Carl Jr. was just like his father he wasn’t racist either. Carl was friends with Kabuo and worried about what would happen to his friend’s family. When Kabuo’s family was ordered to leave the country, Carl worried about their safety. Carl wasn’t like his mother their views were very different. When Carl brought home a fishing rod that was given by Kabuo, Etta told Carl to take it back. Etta never gave Kabuo’s father a chance she always talked down to him even though he was always polite. I think that shows Etta was a bitter old woman.
Ishmael isn’t a racist person from the start. He is in love with Hatsue a Japanese girl. In the begging he had his first relationship with Hatsue. Their love was fun and innocent. They both loved meeting under the cedar tree in the woods. Ishmael and Kabuo would hide their relationship because it was forbidden. When the war started their relationship starts to change. They have to stop meeting and Kabuo’s family gets sent away to a camp.
Art Moran is a local sheriff. In the beginning he beliefs that Carl’s death is accident. He begins to suspect Kabuo of murder after hearing the coroners comment, that the wound look like it was done by a Japanese. I think that change of heart showed racism.
I believe Hatsue’s mother Fujiko is also racist because when she finds out about Hatsue and Ishmaels relationship she becomes upset and does not like that her daughter Hatsue is seeing a white boy. Instead of Fujiko being happy because a white boy is being nice and kind and likes her daughter she is not happy about it. That makes her racist against white people. This shows Japanese people can be racist too.
In this novel the Japanese did suffer from racism. I think it was very rude that white people would call them names like” Japs” and say hurtful and hateful things to them. I think people were brought up racist and they continued their wrong and racist ways towards people of a different race. The Japanese were very hard working all they wanted was some land, so they can work and make money to support their families.
I can understand why Americans were angry and had hatred towards the Japanese. They bombed Pearl Harbor this caused a war between Japan and America this made Americans very angry. In a way they had a reason to be angry. But it doesn’t mean all Japanese were bad. They were Japanese Americans. Hatsue for example, she was Japanese but was a born American. It sad that she stated She was born here in America and she did not want to be Japanese. She did not want to be a part of them. She wasn’t happy that she was Japanese. But her mother made her realized she was wrong with those words she was saying. Fujiko told her to keep it to herself never to say that and be ashamed of who she is and no matter what, her blood was still Japanese, and it was better to keep silence. Deep down inside Hatsue knew her mother was right everything she said was right. Hatsue was just angry with everything that was happening. Americans were being racist towards Japanese people, they had to move away to camps, and she was in love with a white boy that she had to leave.