Which of our central questions does your text address most thoroughly?

First and foremost, this text addresses the issues of racism and equality in America during WWII.  It discusses the impact Pearl Harbor and the war in the Pacific had on Americans’ view of race - the hatred aimed at all things Japanese, and the mistrust of Asian-Americans in general - as well as the effects of the Chinese/Japanese war.  It also touches on the importance of material possessions as a link to one’s history and culture, detailing the lengths Japanese Americans went to save and preserve their property before they were shipped off to concentration camps.   Inversely, the text explores those things that are more important than material wealth - family, safety, honor, and acceptance - and looks at the way they influence our lives. Finally, the text examines what it means to be an man, following Henry's path to adulthood (which he considered himself to have reached at 13) and the responsibilities and decisions he is forced to make without parental help.