Racism in the Historical Context of Snow Falling on Cedars

Snow on Cedars is an artwork by the renowned writer David Guterson. In his book, Snow Falling on Cedars, Guterson presents several themes trying to depict historical prejudices in the present world. The book has a setting on a small Island called the San Piedro off the Washington city coast in the early 1950s. The author presents Kabuo Miyato, a Japanese immigrant from the United States of America, as his main character to drive his thematic concepts. Kabuo Miyamoto is a fisherman who finds himself behind bars over the accusation of the Murder of his fellow fisherman-Carl Hein.

In his work, the author cites discrimination against Kabuo, and his family, the mother of Carl with the home they grew with takes advantage of the absence of family's to sell out Kabou's Family he was yeaning to buy for his family. While he was away, Kabuo married a beautiful fellow Japanese lady named Hutsue Imada after meeting her at the camp of war. Similarly, Carl, who also was at war with Kabuo, was not happy with his mother's act of selling the land of his friend Kabuo. It's claimed that Carl Hein died from being hit by a huge boat that allegedly lost power and control, knocking him into the water. Kabuo Miyato was accused of killing his friend Carl as he discussed Carl's land before his death.

When Carl's body was recovered from the water, it was noted that his death resulted from being hit in the head and thrown deep into the water. Thus, Kibuo was the first suspect in Carl's death due to the conversation they had about the land and its report from the story that Kibuo Race was a major reason for his accusations. This led to the Japanese's hatred by the San Piedro residents even many years after the war. The trial of the Kabuo is reported to be full of Racism, and nobody could believe that Kabuo was accused falsely until Ismael brings his shares his information with the Judge about the real cause of Carl's death. This essay aims to discuss Racism in the historical context from the allusions to David Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars.

Racial Discrimination and Prejudice against Japanese-America

In the book Snow Falling on Cedars, Racism is an act of discrimination and prejudice based on skin colour, superiority, race, and originality. David Guterson expresses Racism as a thematic idea in almost all the chapters of the book: Firstly, in the first chapter, the theme of racial discrimination is shown silent because Kibuo is Japanese, which is a straight confirmation of his guilt on the accusations of Carl's death. The courts, in their proceedings, borrow the notion of the racist residents. To them, Kabuo is an alien Japanese and doesn't understand him; thus, he directly discriminates against the false murder case. (Guterson, pp. 1-3). It is very discriminative by the Native Americans; being of a different colour doesn't justify guilt; the judicial system is a neutral justice process that everyone shouldn't be discriminated against. The hidden truth is that Kabuo is very innocent and shouldn't be given a fair trial without any prejudice.

Similarly, in chapter four of the book, Guterson captures the compromise investigation into Carl's death. All through the investigation, the San Piedro Island people continuously condemn and deride the Japanese immigrants, terming them as looking like "foreigners" (Guterson, p. 12). The islanders are described as being racists and full of prejudice for the Japanese immigrants. Despite being accused wrongfully of the murder, all the Japanese Islanders get profiled racially over one individual, a case within the courts that has not been concluded.

David Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars shows the unfavourable reception of the Asia immigrants who came in search of jobs in San Piedro Island, which was very rich with natural resources for Agricultural opportunities, making the Japanese Migrate. The first generation of immigrants was well received. Still, the second group after Issei were welcomed by the Anti-Asian movement in America, raising a lot of prejudice and Racism for the Japanese origins (p. 52). Further, Guterson reported that it was not only the residents of San Piedro Island who prejudiced the Japanese immigrants but also the government officials who could not recognize them as human beings but instead regarded them as aliens. This is further exhibited by the Census officials who wrote names insulting to Japanese Immigrants; for example, they called the Japanese "Jap 1" and "Jap 2"…others got insulating nicknames like Dwarf and Stumpy Guterson, p.30).

Guterson further reports that the whites regarded themselves as superior and knew nothing about the other races. Anything that was told to the whites about other races was regarded as useless and less important. Racism and prejudice were also extended to the working field, where most laborious and unskilled jobs were given to the Japanese positions labelled as works for slaves. Moreover, the Japanese, being diligent workers, performed their duties with ethics and dignity. They did not understand how the whites did their jobs and could not understand the whites' work ethics. According to Guterson, it leads to a misunderstanding at the workplace, further predisposing the Japanese to racial prejudice. "Japanese will keep nodding," and that's how they got better at what they don't understand (P. 85).

Guterson introduces cultural prejudice through the characters Etta and Zenichi. The cultural backgrounds of these Asians and Americans are different; therefore, none understand each other's culture. In this respect, a misunderstanding emerges between the two, whereby Etta notices that Zenichi will always need anode while talking to you directly. Still, Etta thinks that by frequently nodding, the Japanese were to execute something silly. Etta exposes Zenichi to cultural prejudices and Racism just because she doesn't understand their culture.

The prejudice and Racism reached a level of war actions that the Japanese immigrants were forced to go into World War. Despite having no relations with the war at all, the Japanese are entitled to immediate citizenship of Americans registered to the fighting crew. By any chance, America's security could get threatened; the Japanese immigrants are given priority to fight and defend America. However, following the Bomb at Pearl Harbor, all Americans turned against the Japanese, including the immigrants who were defending them at war. "The Japs are the enemy" (p.129).

The above quote activated one of the most discriminatory hatreds against the Japanese immigrants from all the Native Americans, even toward the innocent. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the racial prejudice at the Island of San Piedro became unmeasurable to the extent of terming them as totally evil people. The whites'' hatred towards the Japanese grew wider. Even after clarifying that the immigrants were not involved in Pearl Harbor, they were still attacked off guard by the Americans due to the Japanese's racial anger. "…Kibuo didn't kill anyone. It isn't in his heart" (p. 216).

The whites are further exposed by Guterson as people full of pride and think more superior than others. They believe that they are the best people in society, and they tend toward having arrogance towards others, making the inferior and weak before their status. Racially, the Americans refused to do business and cooperate with the Japanese Immigrants as a feeling of lowered dignity in doing so. For instance, Etta Hein completely refuses to sell the land to the Kabuo Miyamoto Family because of negative stereotypes and suspicions toward the Japanese immigrants. Etta hated the Japanese to the extent that when she heard that her husband was planning to sell land to the Japanese, she seriously hurt her pride (p. 79).
Guterson presents racial prejudice in the justice system; for example, in the courtroom, Japanese immigrants are discriminated against by sick at the back due to public conformity but not by law. For this reason, all the Japanese who attend court sessions will naturally sit at the back, racial prejudice. They are seen as inferior people who cannot own land and are not eligible to be registered as citizens.

Consequently, the relationship between Hatsue and Ishmael is at risk. Hatsue is more concerned about the race in the relationship; she feels like loving and kissing is Ishmael is unhealthy because he is not Japanese. Since she doesn't love Kabuo, their customs and norms don't allow them to marry against your skin colour (p.100). Even the Japanese have inherited the narrative of racial subjugation, forcing Hatsue to love Kibuo out of force and fear of conforming to society. Furthermore, Fujiko experiences pressures of race in realizing that Hatsue has a relationship with Ishmael- for her, she wants them to part ways not because she is jealous but because he is American and Hatsue is Japanese.
At the funeral of Ismael's father, he recalls how his father was a good person who respects others' races. This is realized when the Japanese come to the funeral to testify about the good and respect for the human race, Arthur, Ishmael's Father. Therefore, Guterson elaborates that Ishmael has taken from his father to respect other people's races.
Kabuo insists that despite him being called "Jap” and Carl being a Nazi, they were all given birth and raised in the United States by immigrants. Both their families fought in the World War to protect America. Kabul admits how he hates being called Japanese instead of American, so he tries hard to let Carl knows this, but unfortunately, any idea of "Jap” is evil and unacceptable.

Finally, Guterson points out racial prejudice through Alvin Hooks, who practically advises the Jurors to decide Kabuo's case by simply looking directly at the eyes and face. Meaning that Kabuo is not entitled to a fair trial, but the Judge should look and decide on the verdict just because he is Japanese.

Conclusion

Over a long time, racial discrimination has been a thorn in the fresh wounds of the American people. Black Africans and Asians receive discrimination; our case is the Japanese. The racial prejudice against Japan's people started long back in the World War but continued decades after the war. In Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars, racial prejudice is presented almost throughout the book, starting at the time of war and even after the war. At times of war, the Japanese immigrants were always suspected of being spies, thereby being restricted to the camps and hauling their citizenship for the whole period of war. The results of Racism meant that the Japanese did not have good jobs were not allowed to buy our land and had limited access to public facilities and the justice system. The reasons behind this act of racial prejudice are over the completion of the social status, wealth, education, and power which Americans are keen on for the alien "Japs” to acquire. The discrimination exposes the Japanese to low self-esteem and come to terms with the stereotypes ganged against them by the natives. The Americans go far even to call them names and discriminate and arrest them as spies and threats to their security.

Works Cited

FIBULA R, C. O. R. N. E. L. I. A. "Prejudice Against Japanese-Americans in David Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars." Litera~ Kultura 4.3 (2016).