Overcoming Obstacles In Henry's Life

What obstacles does Henry face when pursuing what he believes in?

In the novel, Henry has a mindset that is drastically different from the "typical" mindset of those he is supposed to respect and revere. In order to live his own life, Henry must overcome these obstacles that stand in the way of the pursuit of what he believes in. The belief of that Japanese are not Americans as everyone else is the belief that is mainly held by his own father. The Japanese are the enemy, and even if someone cannot control the actions of their own people, they are also the enemy. Henry believes that Keiko and her family are just as American as anyone, and that he should be free to make his own decisions. Because of his father's beliefs, Henry must make a choice, whether to be

They were brought up in different places with different beliefs and values. As a result, the pursuits of Henry and his father are quite different. Henry's father's pursuit is one that is understandable, because of his past. The early life of Henry's father was in Canton with a Chinese education, and naturally, especially with the recent bombing of Pearl Harbor against his new home country, he had negative feelings against the Japanese. Throughout his life, this was his only belief about this group of people. Because of this, his father's pursuits are protecting his family from these people he believes are evil. Henry's father made him speak English, and Henry said, "It was 1942, and they were desperate for [me] to learn English. Which only made [me] more confused when [my] father pinned a button to [my] school shirt that read, “I am Chinese.” This shows Henry's father's pride and separation from the Japanese. Because of his school and his American life, Henry's pursuit is to be open, and he is friends with people that his father would not approve of. Henry is open, and although he may not be accepted for everyone because of who he is, he is open to