No-No Boy

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No-No Boy is the only novel by Japanese-American writer, John Okada. It deals with the aftermath of the Japanese American internment during World War II. The novel begins as Ichiro Yamada is returning home from prison, and follows him as he struggles to come to terms with his decision of not joining the army. Yamada experiences intense inner turmoil as he tries to identify why things happened the way they did, why people hate one another, and why he acted the way he did.

The title refers to Japanese Americans who answered 'no' to the following two questions, when asked by the United States government on a 1943 Leave Clearance Application Form administered to Interned Japanese Americans.

"Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered?"
"Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, to any other foreign government, power or organization?"

Both questions were confusing in different ways. Many respondents thought that by answering yes to the first question, they were signing up for the draft. Others, given the circumstances of the questions -- in which Americans of Japanese descent were held in "concentration camps" -- said no to resist the draft. The second question implied that the respondent, most of whom were American citizens, had already sworn allegiance to the Japanese emperor. Many respondents saw this question as a trap, and rejected the premise by answering no. Afterwards, many of those who answered "No" were thrown into Federal Prison.