Under the Blood Red Sun

The story begins in early September 1941 in Honolulu, Hawaii, in the Nu’uanu district—an upper-class enclave mostly inhabited by white people. Tomi Nakaji, an American-born son of Japanese immigrants, grapples with identity, straddling the liminal spaces between Japanese and American. His family’s internal conflict mirrors the external tensions between Japanese and non-Japanese groups in Hawaii.

Grampa Joji reminds Tomi that he is “Japanee” (3), but Tomi argues that he is American—a conversation that highlights the theme of The Role of Friends and Family in Creating Character. Throughout the work, Tomi is never Japanese enough to please his family or American enough to please the non-Japanese groups in Hawaii. In Papa’s words, “we are Americans, it is true [...] but inside we are also Japanese“ (14). Tomi occupies a strange space between being Japanese and American, and he struggles to find peace with both sides. However, he voices his identity conflict to those around him, particularly his family at this point in the novel, demonstrating strength of character and a desire to be fully comprehended as someone caught in between identities.  

Because Tomi straddles the space between being American and being Japanese, he tries to help his family and friends understand the other culture. Tomi is very sensitive to the fact that the other people on the islands do not view the Japanese favorably due to job competition and Japan’s role in World War II, emphasizing the theme of The Barriers of Prejudice and Discrimination. Tomi explains to his grandfather that the other people on the island find the Japanese flag offensive. He tries to explain to his mother that the words Ojii-chan, the Japanese name for grandfather, and Grampa are identical in their meaning. However, neither family member understands Tomi’s perspective, creating a sense of panic and even hopeless misunderstanding surrounding Tomi.

Tomi is not yet comfortable sharing his Japanese heritage with his friends. Tomi feels ashamed of his humble home and has never invited Billy inside. When asked, Tomi cautiously explains the butsudan and the picture of Emperor Hirohito. However, Billy does not understand the significance and unwittingly insults the emperor’s hat. Tomi ushers Billy out of the doorway and ends the conversation. Much of this discomfort in discussing Tomi’s Japanese heritage likely comes from Tomi’s relationship with Keet. Despite being born in America, Tomi is not American enough for Keet, who continually refers to Tomi as a “Jap” (10) and takes umbrage at Grampa flying the Japanese flag. Tomi is forced to personally accept both sides of his heritage while simultaneously experiencing rejection from his Japanese family and American friends and acquaintances. The burden that Tomi faces as a first-generation Japanese American, as he was born in the US, is a unique perspective that captures the nuances of identity and the difficulty of being more than one thing.

Beyond the cultural divide between Americans and Japanese, Tomi also straddles the segregation of economic class, again highlighting the theme of The Barriers of Prejudice and Discrimination. Although the Nakaji family is impoverished, Tomi lives in an affluent section of Honolulu. In some ways, this further isolates him from his Japanese heritage, as most Japanese families live in the much poorer Kaka’ako section. Tomi is the only Japanese player on the Rats, whereas the Kaka’ako Boys players are all of Japanese American. Tomi’s presence in an affluent, predominantly white section of Honolulu highlights the self-segregation occurring in the city. Although the white presence is large, Tomi only interacts regularly with two white people, and both are his neighbors. Tomi’s awareness of cultural clashing is partly the result of his exposure to whiteness in his area: He knows that he is expected to behave as an American, even hiding his Japanese identity when possible. The pressure on Tomi to conform to American standards is, therefore, more magnified than it would be if he lived in a predominantly Japanese American neighborhood.

Tomi readily identifies the differences in economic class between himself and Billy. Billy has a large house, his father has a car, and their house is full of magazines. Tomi is the only person in his house who sleeps on a bed; he has very few possessions, and his house is small. Although Tomi has visited Billy’s house many times, Tomi never invites Billy inside his house because of this awareness of economic differences. These differences between Tomi and Billy also contribute to their distinct perspectives on World War II. While Billy is well-informed and concerned, Tomi, Mose, and Rico lack access to newspapers and magazines, making them concerned with their immediate safety. The white characters seem preoccupied with the war, while other ethnic groups appear unconcerned; however, this is largely due to proximity to knowledge as a kind of privilege.

Tomi casually mentions that ethnic groups separate the Kaka’ako region. This self-segregation is highlighted throughout the story. For example, Mr. Davis wants Billy to attend an all-white private school instead of a Japanese-dominated public high school. Mose and Rico Corteles, both of Portuguese descent, continually refer to Billy as “haole,” a Hawaiian word meaning “white boy,“ according to Tomi (20). “Haole” refers to anyone not Indigenous to Hawaii, though it is most often used toward white people. By this criterion, Mose and Rico are also “haole,” yet they still view themselves as different from Billy. This constant segregation and discrimination of ethnic groups appears early in the story and only continues to grow.

Amidst this segregation, Tomi grapples with choosing a side. At this juncture, he leans toward an American identity, concealing his Japanese heritage and economic status from friends. This liminality creates discomfort for Tomi as he strives to navigate Honolulu’s complex interplay of cultural, racial, and economic dynamics while keeping part of himself metaphorically concealed while in public. Such identity crisis is central to the novel, as Tomi must learn to please himself rather than the communities that he is a part of.