Gaikokujin - the Story II: Making of a Soldier

This is a spiritual rags to riches adventure. I have been blessed to live a storybook life but not in any glamorous way. Writing this book has allowed me to examine my role as a person of color--which I refer to as melanin-rich--in a society which has proven itself to be hostile toward non-Caucasian people. Because this is part memoir part historical treatise and part survivors guide it is my intention to stretch the parameters of a conventional novel.In Japanese the word Gai-koku-jin literally meaning outside-country-person; i.e. foreigner is traditionally written as「外国人」. I however am coining terminology by replacing the middle character with「黒」 which is pronounced identically but means black instead of country. Not only does this symbolize my own cultural perspective but it also represents a set of circumstances which is not limited to any race or country.In Book II subtitled Making of a Soldier we follow Takuan on his journey into basic training. Still black-and-blue from the fight with his father his get over mentality is instantly put to the test when he meets his new government-issued father--a U.S. Army Drill Sergeant. In such a stressful environment Taks depression from being away from Asia begins to mount. Does he have what it takes to become a soldier?