ENGC70H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Obasan, European Canadian, Canadian Identity
Document Summary
We are both the enemy and not the enemy (p. 100) Us vs. them = no riddle; the white canadians who hate the japanese just want them to suffer. But everyone is part of the state of canada - the state is saying the japanese are not canadians and not part of the state. The state represents them, but they are being called non-citizens of the state. They are canadian citizens, so the state should be helping them (but it"s not) The riddle itself is the name japanese-canadian. They are neither only japanese nor canadian. Naomi"s imagination as a child - she questions this riddle of enemy". At first naomi is certain that she is the baby bear in the fairy tale of goldilocks (the first character children usually identify with) Goldilocks destroys the bears" chairs and eats their food - the canadians ransacking the. But then thinks maybe she is goldilocks, and that she is simply lost.
