Activism
In the book, Yamashita explores acts of activism from different parts of the world. Mostly focused on the protests that took place in San Francisco, the author details several experiences from different people who were present in those protests. The book itself is a form of protest as it acts as a conduit to people who had never experienced these acts of bravery and selflessness. It shows the true and honest hearts of these individuals who stood together with the tenants of the International Hotel and fought tirelessly for their freedom. Despite their failure in stopping the demolition, the true power of activism is revealed in how it brings oppressed and silenced people together and gives them a voice that is pretty much still loud in everyone’s mind some sixty years later.
Multiculturalism
The tenants of the International Hotel comprised of a diverse group of individuals. Most of them were lower-class individuals, immigrants, and overall minorities in society. These people originated from different parts of the world with different cultures and heritage. These tenants would have never come together like this because of the respective reservations that keep people to themselves. They, however, join hands against a common enemy that is trying to take away their homes. In those moments, people tend to forget about their cultural reservations. People of all backgrounds; Asian-Americans, African-Americans, and others come together and show a unity that is stronger than any cultural bond. San Francisco was and still is a multicultural city where people all around the world come to start afresh. The people realize that despite their differences, they sure do have a lot in common with one another as far as the struggle and will to survive in a cruel world.
