Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II

What were the sociocultural differences between Hawaiian and mainland Japanese Americans during World War II? How were Issei and Nisei different and similar? What do these differences say about Japanese American identity?

What were the most important contributions of 442nd and 522nd to the Allied war effort and why? How were these successes treated in theater? Domestically?

Discuss the details and significance of Gordon Hirabayashi’s one-man civil rights protest.

Why did the author name his book Facing the Mountain?

How does the Japanese American Experience During World War II fit into the general political restructuring of the world during the 20th century?

What approach to history does the author use in Facing the Mountain and why? How does this style of historical writing differ from more traditional accounts? What is lost in this approach? What is gained?

What role does religion play in Facing the Mountain? Use at least three people to illustrate your argument.

Explore the novelistic techniques Brown uses to show how and why Japanese American soldiers changed from the beginning of their deployment in Europe to the end of World War II. How does Brown’s style in analyzing their inner lives mimic fiction writing? How does it differ?