Takeo

Takeo is the first one hundred pages of a novel about a thirteen year old Japanese\ud American boy who lives in San Francisco during World War Two. In the aftermath of\ud Pearl Harbor, hostility towards Japanese Americans increases and over a hundred\ud thousand are dislocated into internment camps. Takeo's friend, Bo, suggests that he run\ud away and hide at his home until the war is over. Takeo deliberates, then decides to say\ud goodbye to his home in search of some obscure sense of freedom.\ud Whether or not he has made the right choice haunts Takeo as he assimilates to the\ud Chinese culture???who themselves gamer animosity against the Japanese. He becomes\ud Mrs. Ying's son and pupil; pays his way by working at Mr. Ying's restaurant; and\ud befriends Stephen Kowalski, a 23 year old naval officer working shore patrol in the\ud Chinatown and North Beach neighborhoods. This novel explores the themes of\ud xenophobia, transculturation, family, and the human connections that transcend man-made\ud barriers