8Asians | An Asian American collaborative blog

Author’s note: I originally wrote this story 2013 for a children’s book about the Japanese American World War II experience. I published it on 8Asians in 2014. However, with the recent events and rhetoric surrounding our presidential election, I started becoming worried that the events of this short story could happen again—not to Japanese American but to Muslim and Arab Americans.

I wanted to reimagine these events if they happened today to help make sure it doesn’t happen again. As I tell my four-year-old every day, we as decedents of people who were wrongly incarcerated in camps have a moral responsibility to make sure it never happens again. Here is my way of reminding us of our past so we don’t repeat it again.

Previously… 
Part 1
Part 2

Goofy (Pt. 3)

After the executive order, Moe’s life changed right away. He stopped going to school and his family wasn’t allowed to leave the house at night. Moe spent the first couple of days playing with Goofy and with Julia once she got back from school.

Moe noticed a lot of strangers were going in and out of his front door and how things around the house were slowly disappearing. He found his mom arguing with a man over a brand new vacuum cleaner his dad had bought her for their anniversary.

“This is brand new and worth five times what you’re offering,” Mrs. Hassan told the man.

“Take it or leave it, Ma’am.”

Mrs. Hassan shook her head and when the man left, Moe asked her, “Why are you selling the vacuum cleaner?”

“We have to sell everything,” Mrs. Hassan answered, “They are only letting us take one suitcase each.”

Goofy barked, which gave Moe an idea. Since they could each take one suitcase, they could put the vacuum cleaner in Goofy’s suitcase. After all, Goofy was a dog and didn’t have anything to bring. He told his mom his idea.

Moe knew something was wrong because his mom wouldn’t look at him. When she finally did, she said, “Goofy can’t come with us. You’ll have to find a new home for him.”

Moe ran up to him room and cried. He hugged Goofy all night. It was the saddest he had ever been.

The next morning, Moe knew what he had to do. He had two days to find a new home for his best friend. The first person he went to was Julia. He asked her if she could take Goofy, but she shook her head no.

“My mother’s allergic to dogs.”

Moe was not going to give up so easily. He went from house to house on his street looking for another family that would adopt Goofy. Some of the people slammed the door in his face, a couple adults even called him mean names.

No matter how hard Moe looked, he couldn’t find anyone willing to take his dog. Goofy knew something was wrong, but tried to make Moe feel better by licking his face and chasing his tail.

The morning Moe and his mom had to leave, Moe had still not found a home for Goofy. He told Goofy in his bravest voice, “I’m sorry, you’ll have to find a place on your own.”

Goofy barked, which was his way of saying, “Don’t worry about me.”

Moe whispered in Goofy’s ear, “I love you.”

Moe waved goodbye as Goofy ran down the street. Moe began to cry, but when he saw his mom’s tears, he remembered his father’s words and tried to be strong for her. Together, they carried their suitcases down to the bus that was going to take them away.

When Moe and his mom got to the bus stop, there were other families already there with their suitcases. Everyone looked really sad. Moe felt the same way, but tried to act brave.

The bus soon came and as Moe was about to get on with his mom, he saw Julia and her mother running down the street. Next to them was Goofy.

With tears in her eyes, Julia told Moe goodbye and explained that Goofy had come to their door. He was so sad looking that Julia’s mother said it was okay for her to keep him until Moe got back.

Moe and his mom got on the bus with all the others in their neighborhood and they rode to the train station in silence. On the train, Moe missed his dad and Goofy, but it made him feel a little better knowing that at least Goofy had a good home.

When they finally arrived at the “Relocation Center,” which was really a prison in the high deserts of California, Moe found a reason to smile. Mr. Hassan was waiting for them. Moe didn’t realize he had missed his father so much.

Approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes during World War II and sent to one of ten remote “camps” around the country. Their only crime: looking like the enemy.

Follow me at @ksakai1.

Author’s note: I originally wrote this story 2013 for a children’s book about the Japanese American World War II experience. I published it on 8Asians in 2014. However, with the recent events and rhetoric surrounding our presidential election, I started becoming worried that the events of this short story could happen again—not to Japanese American but to Muslim and Arab Americans.

I wanted to reimagine these events if they happened today to help make sure it doesn’t happen again. As I tell my four-year-old every day, we as decedents of people who were wrongly incarcerated in camps have a moral responsibility to make sure it never happens again. Here is my way of reminding us of our past so we don’t repeat it again.

Previously… 
Part 1“>Part 1

Goofy (Pt. 2)

Moe’s parents were born in Syria, but he was born in America and was therefore a citizen. Because he had never visited his parent’s homeland and since he could only speak a few word of Arabic, he always felt more American than Syrian.

But when others saw Moe, they saw the enemy. At school, the other kids wouldn’t let him play baseball during recess and the teachers stopped calling on him in class. They all blamed him for what the terrorist had done. It was the first time Moe felt more Syrian than American.

Not everyone stopped being friends with Moe. Julia told him. “Now you have more time for me.”

Goofy barked, which was his way of saying, “Don’t forget about me too!”

A month after Mr. Hassan was taken away, the family finally got a letter from him. Mr. Hassan told them that he was safe, but he couldn’t say where he was.

In late March 2017, Moe was playing catch with Goofy and Julia when one of their old Syrian neighbors walked past them in tears.

“They are sending us away,” she told them.

Moe wanted to know more, so Julia, Goofy, and Moe went online. On the CNN website, there was an article and in it President Trump had signed an executive order that had called for the incarceration of all Muslim and Arab Americans. In the picture next to the president was a big poster with the words, “Instructions to Muslims…”

Moe didn’t understand the article so he asked Julia to explain it to him, “It says that you have to leave your homes and move away.”

“When?”

“In a week.”

“But how will Dad find us?” Moe later asked his mom.

“I guess we’ll have to write him a letter and tell him where we are.”

Moe knew his mom was sad. He wanted to say something to make her feel better, but didn’t know what he could say. So he said nothing.

To be continued…

Follow me at @ksakai1.

Author’s note: I originally wrote this story 2013 for a children’s book about the Japanese American World War II experience. I published it on 8Asians in 2014. However, with the recent events and rhetoric surrounding our presidential election, I started becoming worried that the events of this short story could happen again—not to Japanese American but to Muslim and Arab Americans.

I wanted to reimagine these events if they happened today to help make sure it doesn’t happen again. As I tell my four-year-old every day, we as decedents of people who were wrongly incarcerated in camps have a moral responsibility to make sure it never happens again. Here is my way of reminding us of our past so we don’t repeat it again. 

Goofy

Moe Hassan’s 10th birthday was on July 4, 2016 and he knew he wanted a dog. He even had a name picked out already. The dog’s name was going to be Goofy, which had always been his favorite Disney character.

For the entire month of June, Moe begged his dad to get him a dog.

“Dad, can I have a dog?” Moe would ask every time he saw him.

And every time Mr. Hassan would say, “No.”

But Moe wasn’t the kind of boy that took no for an answer. So he kept asking.

By the time his birthday finally came, Moe hadn’t been able to change his dad’s mind. That’s why when his dad came home from work with a handsome 75-pound mutt, he had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

“Happy birthday,” Mr. Hassan told Moe.

Mrs. Hassan asked him, “What are you going to call him?”

Moe didn’t have to think about it. “Goofy.” And the funny thing was that Goofy really did look like the cartoon Goofy!

“That’s a great name,” Mr. Hassan said.

And from that point on, Goofy was part of the Hassan family.

Goofy and Moe quickly became best friends. Goofy went everywhere Moe went. They even slept in the same bed! His mom told him that he’d get bit by fleas, but Moe didn’t care. He couldn’t fall asleep without his Goofy right next to him.

Every day they visited Moe’s other best friend, Julia, who lived right down the street from the Hassan’s. Goofy liked Julia because she tied fancy bows in his hair and gave him lots of hugs and kisses.

Donald Trump was elected president in November of that year. Moe knew his parents were worried about it because he could hear them whispering in the kitchen. But Moe wasn’t concerned. He figured that Donald was all talk. He had known his fair share of bullies just like him.

December 7, 2016 started like any other Sunday. Moe and his mom went to the mosque down the street. During the middle of the service, people began to whisper that terrorists had attacked Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago. Moe knew his dad would want to know the news right away, so he excused himself and ran all the way home.

But when he got to his house, Moe knew something was wrong. There was a strange car parked in the driveway and the front door was wide open.

Moe entered the house and saw Goofy growling at two strange men who looked like police officers, but were wearing suits instead of uniforms.

Mr. Hassan told Moe, “Take Goofy up to your room.”

Moe was about to protest, but then he saw the look on his dad’s face. He had never seen him look so scared before. Moe did as he was told and when he came back down the two strangers were confiscating the family’s computer.

“Moe,” Mr. Hassan said, “You are now the man of the house, take care of your mother.”

A few minutes later, the two men took Mr. Hassan away in the car.

To be continued…

Follow me at @ksakai1.