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Hidden History: Japanese Incarceration on Angel Island

One Book, One Coast

Join historian Grant Din to learn about Angel Island's role in the incarceration of Japanese immigrants during WWII and honor their stories.

The first 30 people to register for this event will receive a free gift copy of They Called Us Enemy – on us!

As part of One Book, One Coast, historian Grant Din explores the history of some Japanese immigrants, labeled “enemy aliens” with few rights, who were interned on Angel Island during WWII under the control of the U.S. Army and Department of Justice, some immediately after December 7, 1941. Learn about the policies and personal experiences that shaped their time on the island, and reflect on how their experiences differed from those of Japanese American citizens and other Japanese immigrants, as George Takei describes in They Called Us Enemy, who were forcibly removed to incarceration camps by the War Relocation Authority after February 19, 1942.

This program offers an opportunity to honor their stories, connect local history to the themes of They Called Us Enemy, and engage in thoughtful discussion about the past and its relevance today.

Grant Din is a genealogist and historian of Asian American immigration, and former Director of Community Resources at Angel Island. Over eight years with the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, he documented immigrant experiences and the World War II detention of Japanese “enemy aliens” through exhibits and the Immigrant Voices archive.

Join the Largest Book Club on the West Coast this Spring!

One Book, Once Coast, the largest community reading program on the West Coast, is bringing more than 130+ library systems across California, Washington, and Oregon for one shared read. This year we’re reading They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, a powerful graphic memoir exploring patriotism, family, identity, and what it means to be American.

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