It’s a violent world we live in, but Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto: “A Gift from My Grandparents” we reminds us that things change. Through the result of the colonial exploitation of Japanese-Canadian and Canadian prisoners of war during World War II, this story helps shape the support of Mitsue and Ralph's cultural identity to develop the theme of forgiveness in the novel. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay During World War II, the Canadian government interned all Japanese Canadians, many of whom were Canadian citizens, and were evacuated 100 miles from the coast. . Sakamoto recounts how politicians continued to call for Japanese removal from the province of British Columbia. The author's maternal grandmother, Mitsu Sakamoto, was a young girl living in a community with other Japanese families in British Columbia. The arrival of Pearl Harbor gave politicians the opportunity they wanted. The Japanese were ordered to abandon their homes, pack what goods they could fit into a wooden crate, and take the train to the farmlands of southern Alberta. There, they spent the war working in the fields for meager wages. It was a racist policy, motivated by economic racism. Tens of thousands of Japanese Canadians were forced to carry identification cards and were eventually sent to internment camps on the Prairies to await evacuation. Many injuries occurred during this arduous labor, Mitsue's mother-in-law was on the verge of death and during her visit to the doctor, he "didn't even touch her, he just wrote something about his prescription book (...) and went out.” (142).As another example, the author focused on the symbolism through the silence of passers-by, when Susanne, Mitsu Sakamoto's sister, has to leave school due to racial relocation. The teacher announces this to the class and Susanne says: “Why were they silent? Why didn't anyone say something? Their silence left him with an uneasy sadness.” Canada is not an innocent bystander or a righteous benefactor, but an active accomplice in the oppression of its citizens. Even despite this injustice, Mitsue's parents kept a strong heart, telling Mitsue "we are for each other." They can’t burn that.” In this time of chaos, Canada was eager to prove itself and so in 1941 the government sent 2,000 Canadian troops to Hong Kong. Ralph Mclean, the author's maternal grandfather, was captured in Hong Kong and spent five years in brutal, near-death conditions as a prisoner of war in Japan. The author depicts life in the prison camp in horrifying and comprehensive detail, from the countless bedbugs to the dangerous latrines (Slip and fall in and it's over). The food is indescribable. “Eat what you can,” advises a fellow inmate. Others are unsure when it comes to a more-than-usual unsavory meal. “No one knew whether it was better to eat it or leave it,” Sakamoto writes. After less than a year, MacLean lost half his weight and lost several of his friends. When the US military arrives to save everyone, they have dropped off care packages, his package containing the Bible, he recites a quote, mark 11:45 "And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your May our Heavenly Father will forgive you your sins.” This allows Ralph to.