Read Banned Books: Internment
- Dan
- 8 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Books I am Thankful For
Typically, on the most thankful day of the year, on our day of thanks in the United States, aka Thanksgiving, I have a post about the books I am most grateful for. This year I'm doing a variation on the theme. I'm thankful for all the banned books I read this year. I am thankful that my freshman son is reading Animal Farm. Why? Because "the man"/ the authoritarians/ the totalitarians/ the fascists don't want you to read them. So be a rebel with a cause, the cause of enlightenment, because without the freedom to read books that challenge the status quo, make us think critically, and give voice to the oppressed, there is only darkness and nothing much to be thankful for.
Read Banned Books
Read the books "the man" says are dangerous. Be a rebel! Read banned books! Think dangerous thoughts!
Previous entries in this series:
Internment
I'm thankful I finally read Internment, even though at times, it was difficult to read. The opening of this YA dystopian yarn hits too close to home for comfort. People are being rounded up and detained simply for the color of their skin, much like what is happening around the country in Portland, Chicago, and elsewhere, much like how Japanese American citizens were detained during World War II. Sadly, the protagonist and those like her are sent to Mazanar, the location of the WWII internment camps.
Honestly, it's obvious why this book has faced outright banning and soft banning (this is where libraries don't purchase a book to avoid controversy). Samira Ahmed takes direct aim at the past and current administration's xenophobic and racist rhetoric and policies. It's also clear that it is due to the powerful's fear that a book such as this is banned. Because a book like this makes you realize what a slippery slope the racist rhetoric has placed the United States on, how horrible some people are treated due to that rhetoric, and that the only way to overcome authoritarian policies is to resist. Like the young Muslims in this tale chant, a people united cannot be defeated. That's why the politics of authoritarianism seeks to divide us.
The ending of this book was incredibly moving.
Part of the reason this yarn struck close to home, as does the political rhetoric about cities like Portland being warzones, and the videos of federal agents snatching people off the streets, is that my sons are biracial. I can't help but wonder if they might one day face detention simply for looking different. My wife is a US citizen, but that seems to be flimsy protection nowadays.
I have family in Portland and visit there regularly. It's not a warzone. If you want to see what a warzone looks like, check out videos of Gaza or Ukraine.
The picture at the top of this post is by my dearly departed father. He visited Mazanar and photographed the internment camp. He believed it was his best work; here's a link.