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They didn't incarcerate the Japanese-Americans in Hawaii. That's the place that was bombed. But the Japanese-American population was about 45 percent of the island of Hawaii. And if they extracted those Japanese-Americans, the economy would have collapsed. But on the mainland, we were thinly spread out up and down the West Coast.
George Takei
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the economic implications of the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

George Takei's quote reflects on the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, particularly how the concentration of this population in Hawaii was crucial for the local economy. In contrast to the mainland where Japanese-Americans were more dispersed, Hawaii's economy relied on their presence, leading to different treatment and outcomes regarding their civil liberties during a time of war and prejudice.

Themes

Japanese-AmericansWarInternmentEconomyDiscrimination

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in discussions or presentations about historical injustices.

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