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No-No Boy

Cover of No-No Boy
Okada, John
1957

John Okada's 1957 novel follows the  postwar experiences of Ichiro Yamada, a Japanese-American who refused to swear loyalty to the United States and enlist in the military--responding 'no-no' on a government loyalty questionnaire.   Imprisoned for his refusal, Yamada returns to a postwar life estranged from his parents, and struggling to reconcile his experiences with those Japanese-Americans who were interned or served in the military.  Perceived as neither fully American nor Japanese, Yamada's experiences echo those of the author Okada, himself an internee and veteran.