Naoko Shibusawa's article Femininity, Race and Treachery: How 'Tokyo Rose' Became a Traitor to the United States after the Second World War, presents a historical analysis of the trial of Toguri d'Aquino in the role of Tokyo Rose. Tokyo Rose was the pseudonym of an unidentified Japanese radio host who was hated in the United States during World War II. The author explains that Tokyo Rose was most likely not a single person, rather an identity employed by various English-speaking Japanese announcers. In 1947 Toguri D'Aquino, a Japanese American, was wrongly convicted despite there being very little evidence, and prosecutors initially recommended that the case be dropped. Shibusawa prevents a multifaceted and nuanced analysis of the historical factors that lead to this belief. This analysis would have been stronger if it had more fully justified both its inclusion of some historical factors over others and its characterization of those involved. Furthermore, the inclusion of “alternative histories” is a poor historiographical practice that does little to support its thesis. Overall, however, his analysis is incredibly holistic and compelling. Additionally, his presentation of the event helps inform historians about the relationship between race and gender in the Pacific War. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay In his article, Shibusawa attempts to answer the historical question; What social and political factors drove the US government to so doggedly prosecute and convict Toguri when there was little evidence and despite the fact that he did not fit Tokyo Rose's profile? To answer this question, he presents several social and political influences that lead to Toguri's belief. Primarily, the sensationalist wartime narratives of race and gender perpetuated by the media made her an ideal target. It highlights the role of the media in demonizing Japanese female sexuality as insidious and dangerous and in creating the expectation of passive patriotism on the part of Japanese women. A combination of these two factors leads to a distrust in Toguri's active patriotism. However, he also highlights political factors, arguing; “The media's reinforcement of popular notions of feminized and orientalized betrayal worked hand in hand with the prosaic and political motivations of the key figures in her case.” The Cold War political climate, which emphasized loyalty and condemned traitors, created strong motivations for the U.S. government to prosecute his case. Essentially, he argues that American conceptions of race and gender created during World War II informed the American government's view and response to betrayal. Shibusawa's argument; that media narratives around gender and race strongly influenced the case is powerful. Explain the meaning of the character Tokyo Rose, as a representation of the American view of the inscrutability of the Japanese and the dangerous femininity of Japanese women. Furthermore, she explains that the media has perpetuated the idea that Japanese-American women should show their patriotism through passive loyalty and cooperation. Therefore, the active patriotism of women like Toguri was not believed, which led to her demonization despite her clean criminal record. However, although he mentions it, Shibusawa does not adequately address the role played by Toguri herself. Explains; "Toguri signed a contract that Brundidge drafted calling her 'the one and only original 'Tokyo Rose' broadcastingfrom Radio Tokyo' with 'no female assistant or substitute'. However, in her account of events, she only inserts this incredibly significant detail and does not consider it a factor in her analysis. She also claims that the only evidence against her was 'the false testimony that the FBI extorted from two of Toguri's Japanese colleagues,” despite the fact that this signed contract is likely to have surfaced in court. Further evidence that his confession did not have much impact on his choice of her of the government as a candidate for the trial or on its subsequent conviction would have strengthened Shibusawa's argument that social and political influences played a critical role in the case Overall, the author's nuanced intersectional analysis of the relationship between American views of femininity and Japanese racial character makes her own. explanation of why Toguri was targeted very convincing. However, it would have been stronger if he had provided evidence that downplayed other factors. Shibusawa's presentation of the political, as well as social, factors of the case makes his analysis historically holistic. He argues that the Cold War led to an internal emphasis on loyalty and hatred of traitors, which explains why the Tokyo Rose case was reopened after it had previously been closed. Including this explanation broadens his analysis to answer not only the question of why Toguri was convicted, but also why the U.S. government chose to pursue the case. However, considering this holistic approach, his rejection of the post-war desire to justify internment as a factor seems unfounded. Furthermore, while it addresses the changing political climate due to the Cold War, it does not consider how America's racial view of the Japanese may also have changed during that time period as they became allies in the fight against communism. Shibusawa's consideration of multiple factors makes his analysis strong, but he fails to fully justify his emphasis on these factors over others, although his use of evidence is strong. Shibusawa's inclusion of alternative histories to justify his conclusion weakens his argument. For example, it presents alternative candidates who could have been prosecuted but were not, such as Manilla Rose and Axis Sally. He also states that Tokyo Rose could have had an "alternative history as a heroine even at that time". The idea that as a historian, looking back, he could have understood what "could" have happened and why it didn't happen is not convincing. Therefore, the inclusion of these alternatives does little to support his analysis of actual events. Shibusawa's statements bear a strong resemblance to those made by John Dower in War Without Mercy. Specifically, both authors assert that racial stereotypes associated with the Japanese influenced the U.S. government's treatment of Japanese Americans during and after the war. Both of these sources state that these stereotypes have caused members of these subpopulations to be treated negatively. Fujitani's essay Right To Kill, in contrast, argues that the government's use of biopower during the war caused the Japanese to move from the outside to the inside of the American population and experience passive rather than active racism. Shibusawa's claim that Toguri was seen as racially alien, and therefore traitor, after the war appears to directly counter Fujitani's thesis. All of these sources, however, attempt to understand the war's influence on how the Japanese were viewed and subsequently treated.