I recently met Josh Tuininga, author and illustrator of the beautiful young adult graphic novel called We Are Not Strangers. The book is a historical fiction based on the story of his Jewish immigrant ancestors who settled in Seattle and befriended Japanese Americans. When World War II broke out and the Japanese Americans were forced from their homes into prison camps, Josh’s ancestor went to extraordinary lengths to help and support them.
Josh found me on the internet and reached out. I was completely unaware of this history of Jewish and Japanese American friendship and shared history. I purchased his graphic novel and devoured it in a day. The artwork is gorgeous and the story deeply moving.
His book reminds us that even in wartime, precious friends and allies can be found in unexpected places. Indeed, the number of individuals that helped my mom’s family after they returned home from incarceration were a precious few. In my family, those names will never be forgotten.
A book talk and panel discussion will be hosted jointly by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (OJMCHE) and the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO) on Sunday, May 26, at 2pm.
I will be part of a panel discussion with Josh and with Ellen Eisenberg, professor of American History at Willamette University.
I am excited and humbled to be included in this panel, which will focus on identity, race, intersectionality, and allyship.
Please come!
Finding Ojiisan, Finding Myself 