No-No Boy by John Okada
"No-No Boy" is a novel by John Okada that explores the complex identity struggles faced by second-generation Japanese Americans in the aftermath of World War II. The protagonist, Ichiro Yamada, grapples with his cultural allegiance to Japan and his ties to the United States after being interned during the war. His refusal to serve in the American military and his choice to maintain loyalty to Japan label him as a "no-no boy," leading to his imprisonment and subsequent ostracization from both the Japanese American community and mainstream society.
Upon returning to Seattle, Ichiro finds himself torn between the pride his parents take in their Japanese heritage and his desire to belong to the country of his birth. His interactions with several characters, including his friend Kenji, who suffers severe injuries from the war, and Emi, who understands his plight, highlight the emotional turmoil and societal pressures he faces. As Ichiro navigates his relationships and reflects on his identity, he confronts feelings of shame and betrayal, ultimately searching for a sense of hope and belonging amid the challenges of his dual heritage. The narrative poignantly captures the struggles of individuals caught between conflicting cultural identities during a tumultuous historical period.
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Subject Terms
No-No Boy by John Okada
First published: 1957
The Work
No-No Boy depicts a second generation Japanese American’s struggle to balance his loyalty to the Japanese culture, to his parents, and to his country, the United States. Ichiro Yamada is interned during World War II. He is put in jail for answering no to the two critical questions on the allegiance questionnaire. His two negative answers are his refusal to serve in the American armed forces and his refusal to forswear allegiance to Japan and pledge loyalty to the United States. After he is released from prison, Ichiro moves back to Seattle and is caught between two seemingly irreconcilable worlds. On one side, there are his parents, who are very proud of being Japanese. On the other side, there is the United States, a country to which he still feels he belongs.
During his search for his identity, Ichiro meets several people who help shape his perspective on himself and on his relationship with America. One of his close friends, Kenji, joins the military during the war. He loses a leg and has only two years to live. What Kenji physically goes through, Ichiro experiences emotionally. Being a no-no boy, Ichiro is looked down upon by his brother and other Japanese Americans who believe he has betrayed the country. During one of their conversations, Kenji and Ichiro jokingly discuss whether they want to trade places. The fact that both of them are willing to do it comments on the kind of social environment they have to deal with and on the choices they have made.
Kenji also introduces Ichiro to Emi, a person who can empathize with Ichiro’s experience. Emi’s husband has left her because he is ashamed of his brother Mike and of Emi’s father, who elect to be repatriated back to Japan. Mike is a World War I veteran. He is incensed by how Japanese Americans are treated by their own government during World War II and eventually decides to go back to a country he does not know or love. Emi saves Ichiro from plunging into an emotional abyss. They find a friend and companion in each other. After witnessing the death of his friend, Freddie, who is also a no-no boy, Ichiro starts to think about his own future. In “the darkness of the alley of the community” that is “a tiny bit of America,” he starts to chase that faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it continues “to take shape in mind and in heart.”
Bibliography
Kim, Elaine H. Asian American Literature: An Introduction to the Writings and Their Social Context. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1982. An excellent study of Asian American literature, which contains a sound analysis of No-No Boy that emphasizes the disintegrating influence of racism on the Japanese American community and psyche.
McDonald, Dorothy Ritsuko. “After Imprisonment: Ichiro’s Search for Redemption in No-No Boy.” Melus 6, no. 3 (Fall, 1979): 19-26. Traces Ichiro’s psychological journey from guilt and alienation to peace and self-acceptance.
Sato, Gayle K. Fujita. “Momotaro’s Exile: John Okada’s No-No Boy.” In Reading the Literatures of Asian America, edited by Shirley Geok-lin Lim and Amy Ling. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1992. Draws on the Japanese mythic tale “Momotaro” in arguing that No-No Boy affirms Japanese American identity by rejecting everything Japanese. Concludes that Japanese culture is portrayed almost entirely in negative terms.
Yeh, William. “To Belong or Not to Belong: The Liminality of John Okada’s No-No-Boy.” Amerasia Journal 19, no. 1 (1993): 121-134. Argues that both the novel’s central character and historical context represent a state of “betweenness.”