PSA Reflection

I selected the No-No Boy by John Okada because it widely explores the issue of personal
identity. Okada uses Ichiro as a protagonist to demonstrate to the readers what it means to be
Japanese and American at the same time. Ichiro is a second-generation Japanese-American
immigrant. Ichiro was born to Japanese parents who moved to America, intending to be back
home after becoming wealthy. They have lived in America for decades but are still loyal to
Japan.
On the contrary, Ichiro was born in America and has never visited Japan. He does not
even speak Japanese well (Okada 6). Seattle, where he lives with his parents, is home and the
only city he has known. He struggles because he is referred to as “Tokyo boy”, a Japanese, yet
America is where he has called home since he was born (Okada 6). He is Japanese by blood and
has more of the American culture.
Okada argues for the fluidity of national and cultural identity. For characters such as
Ichiro, the question of identity is not simple; they often struggle with choosing between their
country of origin and the country where they were born. This issue is connected to the issue we
have covered in class on personal identity. It is a real issue faced by many second-generation
immigrants living in America. The issue of their identity is not a simple one. Every other day,

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they are confronted with the question of loyalty. To whom should they pledge their allegiance?
Their country of ancestry or America, the country they have known since their birth?
Overall, I have chosen the issue of personal identity because it is easy to relate to,
especially to people like Ichiro, that seem to associate their identities with two different
countries. I have chosen a pamphlet as a medium with which to express my message because I
feel that it will capture the emotions and the seriousness of the issue. It will also allow me to
express the issue well and even include visuals.

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Works Cited

Okada, John. No, No, Boy. Du Sonneur, 2020.