We Are Not Strangers
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Inspired by a true story, this graphic novel follows a Jewish immigrant’s efforts to help his Japanese neighbors while they are incarcerated during World War II.
“A powerful book about advocating for friends and neighbors during times of great division.” —Kazu Kibuishi, #1 New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of the Amulet series
"At its core, […] a relatable tale of friendship, shared experiences of discrimination, and the power of individuals to make a difference." — The Beat
Introduction by award-winning author Ken Mochizuki
Afterword by Devin Naar, author of Jewish Salonica
Marco Calvo always knew his grandfather, affectionately called Papoo, was a good man. After all, he was named for him. A first-generation Jewish immigrant, Papoo was hardworking, smart, and caring. When Papoo peacefully passes away, Marco expects the funeral to be simple. However, he is caught off guard by something unusual. Among his close family and friends are mourners he doesn’t recognize—Japanese American families—and no one is quite sure who they are or why they are at the service. How did these strangers know his grandfather so well?
Set in the multicultural Central District of Seattle during World War II and inspired by author Josh Tuininga’s family experiences, We Are Not Strangers explores a unique situation of Japanese and Jewish Americans living side by side in a country at war. Following Papoo’s perspective, we learn of his life as a Sephardic Jewish immigrant and his friendship with Sam Akiyama, a Japanese man whose life is upended by Executive Order 9066, which authorized the incarceration of nearly all Japanese Americans and residents of Japanese ancestry. Determined to keep Sam’s business afloat while he and his family are unjustly imprisoned, he and Papoo create a plan that will change the Akiyama’s lives forever.
An evocative and beautiful color-illustrated historical fiction graphic novel revealing the truth of one man’s extraordinary efforts, We Are Not Strangers converges two perspectives into a single portrait of a community’s struggle with race, responsibility, and what it truly means to be an American.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Tuininga (Why Blue?) presents an uplifting historical graphic novel that employs the fictional pairing of two fishing buddies from disparate backgrounds to map the rippling effects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. Marco, a first-generation Sephardic Jewish immigrant, has carved out a modest living in Seattle's ethnically diverse Central District. When time allows, he baits his hook to cast on the waterfront, often alongside Sam, the Japanese American proprietor of a local fish market. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Marco hears news of orders to forcibly relocate and incarcerate Japanese Americans. Dismayed by the fearmongering and jingoism, he devises a plan to help Sam's family retain their home and business. Tuininga augments the straightforward plot with extensive historical detail, portraying the region's immigrant neighborhoods and documenting conditions in incarceration camps. Pages awash in autumnal brown and overcast gray-blue exude a sense of perpetual worry in the community, while the characters' affable faces signal hope for a path forward. As a bonus, Tuininga includes archival newspaper headlines and a guide to historical landmarks in an appendix. The result is both a forthright condemnation of a shameful chapter of American history and a heartening reminder of the value of community.
