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American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
"Raises timely and important questions about what religious freedom in America truly means."
--Ruth Ozeki
"A must-read for anyone interested in the implacable quest for civil liberties, social and racial justice, religious freedom, and American belonging."
--George Takei
On December 7, 1941, as the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, the first person detained was the leader of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist sect in Hawai'i. Nearly all Japanese Americans were subject to accusations of disloyalty, but Buddhists aroused particular suspicion. From the White House to the local town council, many believed that Buddhism was incompatible with American values. Intelligence agencies targeted the Buddhist community, and Buddhist priests were deemed a threat to national security.
In this pathbreaking account, based on personal accounts and extensive research in untapped archives, Duncan Ryūken Williams reveals how, even as they were stripped of their homes and imprisoned in camps, Japanese American Buddhists launched one of the most inspiring defenses of religious freedom in our nation's history, insisting that they could be both Buddhist and American.
"A searingly instructive story...from which all Americans might learn."
--Smithsonian
"Williams' moving account shows how Japanese Americans transformed Buddhism into an American religion, and, through that struggle, changed the United States for the better."
--Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer
"Reading this book, one cannot help but think of the current racial and religious tensions that have gripped this nation--and shudder."
--Reza Aslan, author of Zealot
"Raises timely and important questions about what religious freedom in America truly means."
--Ruth Ozeki
"A must-read for anyone interested in the implacable quest for civil liberties, social and racial justice, religious freedom, and American belonging."
--George Takei
On December 7, 1941, as the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, the first person detained was the leader of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist sect in Hawai'i. Nearly all Japanese Americans were subject to accusations of disloyalty, but Buddhists aroused particular suspicion. From the White House to the local town council, many believed that Buddhism was incompatible with American values. Intelligence agencies targeted the Buddhist community, and Buddhist priests were deemed a threat to national security.
In this pathbreaking account, based on personal accounts and extensive research in untapped archives, Duncan Ryūken Williams reveals how, even as they were stripped of their homes and imprisoned in camps, Japanese American Buddhists launched one of the most inspiring defenses of religious freedom in our nation's history, insisting that they could be both Buddhist and American.
"A searingly instructive story...from which all Americans might learn."
--Smithsonian
"Williams' moving account shows how Japanese Americans transformed Buddhism into an American religion, and, through that struggle, changed the United States for the better."
--Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of The Sympathizer
"Reading this book, one cannot help but think of the current racial and religious tensions that have gripped this nation--and shudder."
--Reza Aslan, author of Zealot
400 pages, Paperback
First published February 18, 2019
55 people are currently reading
753 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Ryūken Williams
13 books12 followersDuncan Ryūken Williams was born in Tokyo, Japan to a Japanese mother and British father. After growing up in Japan and England until age 17, he moved to the U.S. to attend college (Reed College) and graduate school (Harvard University, where he received a Ph.D. in Religion). Williams is currently Professor of Religion and East Asian Languages & Cultures and the Director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture at the University of Southern California. Previously, he held the Shinjo Ito Distinguished Chair of Japanese Buddhism at UC Berkeley and served as the Director of Berkeley's Center for Japanese Studies for four years. He has also been ordained since 1993 as a Buddhist priest in the Soto Zen tradition and served as the Buddhist chaplain at Harvard University from 1994-96.
He is the author The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Soto Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan (Princeton University Press, 2005) and American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War (Harvard University Press, 2019). He is also the editor/co-editor of seven volumes including Hapa Japan (Kaya Press, 2017), Issei Buddhism in the Americas (U-Illinois Press, 2010), American Buddhism (Routledge/Curzon Press, 1998), and Buddhism and Ecology (Harvard University Press, 1997). He has translated four books from Japanese into English including Putting Buddhism to Work: A New Theory of Economics and Business Management (Kodansha, 1997). He has previously received research grants from the American Academy of Religion, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, the Japan Foundation, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Numata Foundation/Society for the Promotion of Buddhism.
He is the author The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Soto Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan (Princeton University Press, 2005) and American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War (Harvard University Press, 2019). He is also the editor/co-editor of seven volumes including Hapa Japan (Kaya Press, 2017), Issei Buddhism in the Americas (U-Illinois Press, 2010), American Buddhism (Routledge/Curzon Press, 1998), and Buddhism and Ecology (Harvard University Press, 1997). He has translated four books from Japanese into English including Putting Buddhism to Work: A New Theory of Economics and Business Management (Kodansha, 1997). He has previously received research grants from the American Academy of Religion, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, the Japan Foundation, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Numata Foundation/Society for the Promotion of Buddhism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
March 1, 2019
This book was the most comprehensive and readable account of Japanese American Buddhist influence during the years of Japanese incarceration of WWII, I've yet to come across. If you read; and pause, you can envision everyone struggling to understand what it means to be American. It illustrates using the Buddhist Eight-fold path to resolve this suffering. but I think you need to be mindful about this as you read. It makes me wonder what the image of being a Japanese American is today. The yonsei, gosei, and mixed hapa citizens surely have a unique perspective and definition of "Japanese American." Will there be a time when the Japanese part of that term is dropped? Should it be? Should it be retained? Or maybe the terms should be flipped, "American Japanese?"
I've yet to come to a conclusion, especially as it relates to current immigration and citizen behaviors towards new immigrant populations. It makes me concerned and curious about what's being repeated today. The results that come from defining who's American and who's not based on where you're physically from... that's a continuously moving and evolving target. One that Duncan Williams cleverly poses without being obvious.
I've yet to come to a conclusion, especially as it relates to current immigration and citizen behaviors towards new immigrant populations. It makes me concerned and curious about what's being repeated today. The results that come from defining who's American and who's not based on where you're physically from... that's a continuously moving and evolving target. One that Duncan Williams cleverly poses without being obvious.
March 11, 2019
This book tells such an important perspective on why religion mattered in the wake of Pearl Harbor. This is a deeply insightful, important, and compassionate book that explores an egregious violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Check out my conversation with the author, Duncan Ryūken Williams, here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
Check out my conversation with the author, Duncan Ryūken Williams, here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/e...
January 15, 2022
a really admirable herculean effort to frame and present a story that challenges popular considerations of religion and national identity in america, and historicizes an event of asian american history in a way that challenges our own constructions of that too. i think it's kind of on me for diving in with the anticipation of reading more of a spiritual epic rather than a political and legal history (and a very good one!). it's a long read that felt like at least three books in one, though that's also due to the nature of the complex topic. bukkyo tozen was evoked once at the beginning and once at the end--perhaps i wish that spiritual throughline was a clearer structural force in the book for me.
October 6, 2019
Woah. My understanding of “American” Buddhism just shifted under my feet.
Grateful for the insights from this thorough, thoughtful, & readable account of American governmental policies against Japanese & Japanese American people during WWII.
Grateful for Duncan Williams’ scholarship in these times.
Grateful for the insights from this thorough, thoughtful, & readable account of American governmental policies against Japanese & Japanese American people during WWII.
Grateful for Duncan Williams’ scholarship in these times.
February 4, 2020
Just as the one paragraph story of Thanksgiving misses the “complicated details” of why the Pilgrims even came to North America, the economic and religious turmoil in England at the time, so the ancestral story of a Jodo Shinshu raised Sansei misses significant interdependent history. American Sutra reads a bit like “The Barbarous Years” by Bernard Bailyn for American Buddhist’s instead of Protestants. There remain significant gaps in Japanese to English cultural and language concepts. Appreciate Duncan Ryuken Williams explanation of concept “hoben” skillful adaptation, skillful means, expedient means/Chapter 6 which I learned from my mother by example.
Would like longer explanation of “Atarimae” obvious? As in “Blinding glimpse of the obvious”?
Univ of Minnesota grad students, a Japanese and a Hawaiian from Hawaii went to the South in the 1950s. At a restaurant they were asked if they were white or black to be seated in the correct section. The Hawaiian said “ I’m white, my ancestors ate Capt Cook.”
What are the differences and similarities between Bushido and Sakakida’s Hongwanji Japanese history/ethics instruction? Page 153.
Very educational read......Thank you for writing your 17 year project.
Would like longer explanation of “Atarimae” obvious? As in “Blinding glimpse of the obvious”?
Univ of Minnesota grad students, a Japanese and a Hawaiian from Hawaii went to the South in the 1950s. At a restaurant they were asked if they were white or black to be seated in the correct section. The Hawaiian said “ I’m white, my ancestors ate Capt Cook.”
What are the differences and similarities between Bushido and Sakakida’s Hongwanji Japanese history/ethics instruction? Page 153.
Very educational read......Thank you for writing your 17 year project.
June 22, 2025
Incredible scholarship centering the unique discrimination Japanese Buddhists faced during and immediately after WWII, and how enduring these horrors gave rise to American Buddhism.
Williams's work here is nothing short of triumphant, but if I had to pick nits I'd say there were some redundant textual analyses peppered throughout the book. In several chapters, Williams effectively paraphrased his central ideas over and over again, driving home the same points, nearly verbatim, following many of the primary sources he examines. I can get down with having an air-tight, cohesive premise, but there were times I read another recycled sentence and felt the few remaining marbles rolling out of my head. Have I been here before?
Williams's work here is nothing short of triumphant, but if I had to pick nits I'd say there were some redundant textual analyses peppered throughout the book. In several chapters, Williams effectively paraphrased his central ideas over and over again, driving home the same points, nearly verbatim, following many of the primary sources he examines. I can get down with having an air-tight, cohesive premise, but there were times I read another recycled sentence and felt the few remaining marbles rolling out of my head. Have I been here before?
January 26, 2023
I had to read the first half of this for one of my classes (so I only read up to chapter 7) and, to my surprise, really enjoyed it. I learned a lot about Japanese American Buddhism and its Americanization/assimilation as a means of survival before and during camp. Really interesting to learn more about community strength through Buddhism and interfaith connections. The photos and long direct quotes helped to build the story. I'm more interested in Buddhism's role as resistance than the JA Buddhism's recovery post-war, so this is where I'll end my reading (and this review)
September 6, 2022
Interesting—an aspect of Japanese American internment (and US military service) I’d never known about. A very scholarly work. Given that I didn’t have much background, I might have been satisfied with less (e.g., a good magazine article or American Experience episode).
Internment was bad enough—but treatment of Buddhists was worse. For one thing, internees who belonged to Christian denominations often had support from white church groups, but Buddhists didn’t.
The chapter about Nisei in the Army was particularly interesting. Although most Japanese Americans were Buddhist, the Nisei regiment had no Buddhist chaplains.
Also very interesting: the chapter about returning after internment. Many Buddhist temples had been occupied or trashed. Very sad.
Read it for FCIL-SIS book group (via Zoom). Having an SIS book discussion is a great idea!
Internment was bad enough—but treatment of Buddhists was worse. For one thing, internees who belonged to Christian denominations often had support from white church groups, but Buddhists didn’t.
The chapter about Nisei in the Army was particularly interesting. Although most Japanese Americans were Buddhist, the Nisei regiment had no Buddhist chaplains.
Also very interesting: the chapter about returning after internment. Many Buddhist temples had been occupied or trashed. Very sad.
Read it for FCIL-SIS book group (via Zoom). Having an SIS book discussion is a great idea!
May 26, 2019
A story of faith and how Buddhism traveled east from India, Tibet, China, Japan, the west coast and Midwest. Most Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during WW II were Buddhists. Their religion immediately made them suspect as unAmerican and more likely to be disloyal. In spite of discrimination and prejudice Buddhism survived and became the new American Buddhism. Temples became churches. Priests were ministers. Sutras became hymns. This is a story that took the author 17 years to write. In helping his academic advisor’s widow clean out her husband’s office, Williams finds the 60 year old diary of his advisor’s father who wrote this during WWII when he was incarcerated in the American Concentration Camp. A compelling story of believing in America’s promise: freedom of religion in spite of daunting obstacles.
April 25, 2019
“America is a Christian nation and Christianity’s God given mandate was to Americanize and Christianize Asians and all foreigners who immigrated to the US; regardless of freedom of religion. Buddhism began to be seen by the government of the US as a national security threat, even before the Pearl Harbor invasion.“
Williams outlines the discrimination that existed against Buddhism before and after the Pearl Harbor invasion. The author had a significant note section. I wish he would have incorporated some of the notes in the chapters because it was challenging going back and forth between the chapters and the notes.
Williams outlines the discrimination that existed against Buddhism before and after the Pearl Harbor invasion. The author had a significant note section. I wish he would have incorporated some of the notes in the chapters because it was challenging going back and forth between the chapters and the notes.
June 29, 2019
I asked the Sacramento public libraries to purchase this book because it tells an American history hitherto untold -- the suppression of the Japanese American Buddhist faith by the U.S. government as a national security threat during World War II. It also tells how the Japanese Americans struggled to maintain their faith in the face of adversity, and the re-branding of American Buddhism after the war with the resettlement of Japanese Americans from their original homes. It is also one of the few books that discusses the life of Japanese Americans in Hawaii under martial law. It will be seen that it was the Buddhist community that suffered the most, as they were denied the liberty to practice their religion in peace.
This is a meticulously researched book, using many sources that have been largely overlooked in the past, such as Japanese language diaries and other texts. It has many pages of footnotes; perhaps too many. I would in no way say that this is an easy read, or one that is "fun" to read. But, it is an important book, and for Buddhists and Asian Americans, a compelling one. It is A book that everyone that should be read to gain a deeper understanding of the Japanese American experience during World War II. -- to see, as the author says, that one can be both Buddhist and American.
This is a meticulously researched book, using many sources that have been largely overlooked in the past, such as Japanese language diaries and other texts. It has many pages of footnotes; perhaps too many. I would in no way say that this is an easy read, or one that is "fun" to read. But, it is an important book, and for Buddhists and Asian Americans, a compelling one. It is A book that everyone that should be read to gain a deeper understanding of the Japanese American experience during World War II. -- to see, as the author says, that one can be both Buddhist and American.
April 21, 2019
Duncan Williams provides a thoughtful exploration of the Buddhist Japanese American experience during World War II, particularly how the religion set a group of immigrants either further apart from their fellow Americans. But it was that religion, which emphasized peace, that gave Japanese Americans the strength to endure their treatment during the war.
June 10, 2019
It is clear the Dr. Williams clearly understands his responsibility to speak truth because of his deep relationship with his audience. An incredibly powerful and important read, especially for those who who have, do or will reside in the Pacific Northwest. This book again whiteness and Christian nationalism are not new. Additionally, the story of "American" Buddhism is one that is often ignored. This story is not told enough.
August 28, 2019
A bit repetitive at times, but extremely informative-- I didn't know that Buddhists were discriminated against more so than Christians during WWII and, as an American Buddhist, some of these accounts were very sobering to read.
The footnotes are a must-read... which is why it would have been nice if some of those giant chunks of text could have been made part of the body of the book instead of being relegated to footnotes; I felt like they added 100 pages or something.
The footnotes are a must-read... which is why it would have been nice if some of those giant chunks of text could have been made part of the body of the book instead of being relegated to footnotes; I felt like they added 100 pages or something.
June 20, 2019
A great exploration of the stories of Buddhist incarcerees across contexts. I was interested in more context on the overall WRA position and the reformation of Buddhist community after the war. This is an often overlooked lens for this history and a books filled with deeply poignant moments (ex. Buddhist dog tags marked Protestant as a matter of expediency).
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March 3, 2019Good
March 1, 2022
The bookends, Ryogen Senzaki’s poems, are brilliant. Sūtra is truly a genre of world literature ...
March 29, 2024
From a WASP perspective, there's something intrinsic to American identity about being “Christian.” It's not what we tell ourselves in our constitution or liberal conversations, but it is the reality. What does it mean to be “free to practice your religion” when suddenly your home country becomes the enemy? Your religion itself (tied with racial bias) becomes a threat to national security. The American military was blunt- wiping out all the Japanese American citizens when they did not pursue Italian/German American citizens, only those who were still citizens of their home country. The executive order didn’t say “wipe out those who aren’t Christian,” but rather “wipe out those who might be dangerous,” and to pretend religion has no role in that would be foolish.
Pearl Harbor hit America hard, killing well over 2 thousand people and causing tremendous damage to the American Pacific fleet. But there is no excuse for the horrific internment camps that innocent Japanese Americans were placed in. Not only were the conditions of the camp incredibly dehumanizing and humiliating, (horse barns, no privacy… the list goes on..) but they were also pressured to change their religious beliefs. The ban on Japanese language and materials and the protection of Christian texts led some to shift their religious affiliation for perceived protection. American hypocrisy strikes once again. We boldly coin ourselves as a nation of religious freedom but only when privilege dictates acceptance.
Notably, some white Buddhists adopted Anglo-Protestant approaches to make Buddhism more acceptable. Williams notes individuals who used their privilege and influence to support Buddhist practices in camps, which I was thankful to read about.
Still, efforts to help individuals in the camps were often focused on those who converted to Christianity, and as a result, some tried to appear more “American” in fear for their safety.
Many young men became American soldiers. Their loyalty was constantly questioned, despite their burning desire to prove themselves as true citizens. This juxtaposition was highlighted by Williams, who noted the irony that these individuals felt the need to sacrifice their lives for their country in order to claim their place in America. This reflects the belief that risking one's life for the country is the ultimate proof of citizenship, a heartbreaking notion that still exists today. The Bodhisattva, a Buddhist deity, was the major inspiration of the Nisei Buddhist soldiers during World War II. They boldy embodied the values of sacrifice and service in the name of others. Although these soldiers faced discrimination, suspicion, and challenges to their loyalty, many willingly volunteered to serve in the military to prove their loyalty to the United States and to contribute to the war effort. America suspected the very people who were putting their lives on the line for a country not inherently “theirs” by heritage. Despite these challenges, Nisei linguists from the MIS served in combat zones, gathering valuable intelligence through prisoner interrogation and contributing to the victory of the Allied cause. All the while, they were probably dealing with the emotional turmoil of being recognized as Japanese, while identifying as American. I mean really, how far do you have to go to be recognized as a loyal citizen of America if you are not white or Christian?
A heartbreaking tale; one I'm glad I’ve finally learned about.
4 stars because it's not the kind of thing I'd normally pick up- I read this for my religion course this semester.
Pearl Harbor hit America hard, killing well over 2 thousand people and causing tremendous damage to the American Pacific fleet. But there is no excuse for the horrific internment camps that innocent Japanese Americans were placed in. Not only were the conditions of the camp incredibly dehumanizing and humiliating, (horse barns, no privacy… the list goes on..) but they were also pressured to change their religious beliefs. The ban on Japanese language and materials and the protection of Christian texts led some to shift their religious affiliation for perceived protection. American hypocrisy strikes once again. We boldly coin ourselves as a nation of religious freedom but only when privilege dictates acceptance.
Notably, some white Buddhists adopted Anglo-Protestant approaches to make Buddhism more acceptable. Williams notes individuals who used their privilege and influence to support Buddhist practices in camps, which I was thankful to read about.
Still, efforts to help individuals in the camps were often focused on those who converted to Christianity, and as a result, some tried to appear more “American” in fear for their safety.
Many young men became American soldiers. Their loyalty was constantly questioned, despite their burning desire to prove themselves as true citizens. This juxtaposition was highlighted by Williams, who noted the irony that these individuals felt the need to sacrifice their lives for their country in order to claim their place in America. This reflects the belief that risking one's life for the country is the ultimate proof of citizenship, a heartbreaking notion that still exists today. The Bodhisattva, a Buddhist deity, was the major inspiration of the Nisei Buddhist soldiers during World War II. They boldy embodied the values of sacrifice and service in the name of others. Although these soldiers faced discrimination, suspicion, and challenges to their loyalty, many willingly volunteered to serve in the military to prove their loyalty to the United States and to contribute to the war effort. America suspected the very people who were putting their lives on the line for a country not inherently “theirs” by heritage. Despite these challenges, Nisei linguists from the MIS served in combat zones, gathering valuable intelligence through prisoner interrogation and contributing to the victory of the Allied cause. All the while, they were probably dealing with the emotional turmoil of being recognized as Japanese, while identifying as American. I mean really, how far do you have to go to be recognized as a loyal citizen of America if you are not white or Christian?
A heartbreaking tale; one I'm glad I’ve finally learned about.
4 stars because it's not the kind of thing I'd normally pick up- I read this for my religion course this semester.
June 1, 2024
Seriously dense and knowledgeable book about the existence of Buddhist Japanese-Americans, particularly around the conception of Japanese internment camps during WWII. I was so impressed with the research and details packed into this book. I loved the inclusion of diary entries which really deepened my connection to this moment and people in time. I also enjoyed the glimpses into the Buddhist philosophy that guided the action and lifestyle of the Buddhist Japanese-Americans.
However I think this book would have benefited from a through-line. Whether it be a single person whose diary entries are tied throughout, or using quotes/imagery/metaphors from Buddhist scripture as guiding principles for the structure and style of the writing. I saw sprinkles of this throughout but would have loved more of it and in a more concrete way that helps ground the reader. There is just so much information and having a reoccurring motif would give me a minute to digest, and to synthesize the all the aforementioned information.
However I think this book would have benefited from a through-line. Whether it be a single person whose diary entries are tied throughout, or using quotes/imagery/metaphors from Buddhist scripture as guiding principles for the structure and style of the writing. I saw sprinkles of this throughout but would have loved more of it and in a more concrete way that helps ground the reader. There is just so much information and having a reoccurring motif would give me a minute to digest, and to synthesize the all the aforementioned information.
November 11, 2024
5 stars
A very thoroughly researched account of the role of Buddhism in shaping the Japanese American internment experience during WWII. You can really tell this is a passion project and is really comprehensive in its sourcing and understanding of the topic so I have to give it a lot of respect. It is overall not a super upbeat read because even though the role of religion in enduring the difficulty encountered by these individuals is highlighted, it is ultimately a Japanese internment story.
This is a pretty niche topic so not for everyone but the author does a really good job parsing through the available evidence from the time of Japanese American internment and suspicion and how religion specifically played a role in that. Wish there was a little more background on internment as a whole, especially if you come into this unfamiliar on the topic, but for those familiar with it, this was a really new perspective on the experience with a great balance of research and anecdote. 0
A very thoroughly researched account of the role of Buddhism in shaping the Japanese American internment experience during WWII. You can really tell this is a passion project and is really comprehensive in its sourcing and understanding of the topic so I have to give it a lot of respect. It is overall not a super upbeat read because even though the role of religion in enduring the difficulty encountered by these individuals is highlighted, it is ultimately a Japanese internment story.
This is a pretty niche topic so not for everyone but the author does a really good job parsing through the available evidence from the time of Japanese American internment and suspicion and how religion specifically played a role in that. Wish there was a little more background on internment as a whole, especially if you come into this unfamiliar on the topic, but for those familiar with it, this was a really new perspective on the experience with a great balance of research and anecdote. 0
April 1, 2020
See other reviews for thoughtful comments. Two key new learnings for me:
"The arrests of the majority of Buddhist leaders in the initial roundup were not simply a panicked reaction to a sudden military emergency, but the enactment of an already considered contingency plan." "In 1936, five years prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, in a confidential memorandum to the military’s chief of operations, President Roosevelt endorsed the plan to maintain a secret list of Japanese to be detained."
I did not know that there had been 5 years of planning for the arrest and internment of Japanese Americans.
"most Japanese Buddhist traditions emphasize that for the lotus flower to exist, the nutrients from the muddy waters are essential. It is a metaphor that emphasizes how the karmic obstacles of this world are interconnected with liberation and enlightenment."
"The arrests of the majority of Buddhist leaders in the initial roundup were not simply a panicked reaction to a sudden military emergency, but the enactment of an already considered contingency plan." "In 1936, five years prior to the Pearl Harbor attack, in a confidential memorandum to the military’s chief of operations, President Roosevelt endorsed the plan to maintain a secret list of Japanese to be detained."
I did not know that there had been 5 years of planning for the arrest and internment of Japanese Americans.
"most Japanese Buddhist traditions emphasize that for the lotus flower to exist, the nutrients from the muddy waters are essential. It is a metaphor that emphasizes how the karmic obstacles of this world are interconnected with liberation and enlightenment."
May 29, 2022
An amazing book, so well written and chock full of important information. Williams unpacks for the first time the religious nature of the unjustified imprisonment of Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Typically, this story is told as one of race and nationality, but Williams shows that while Japanese Americans of all religions were sent to concentration camps, those who were Buddhist or Shinto were far more likely to be arrested, far more likely to be imprisoned, and far less likely to be released early than those who were Christians. In fact, in Hawaii, which was under martial law, Buddhist temples were closed and Japanese Americans were encouraged to become Christians to prove their loyalty to the United States – a fact that calls deeply into question the notion of America as a land of religious freedom.
Overall, this is a must-read book. It's so powerful.
Overall, this is a must-read book. It's so powerful.
May 1, 2020
This is a good overview of the WW II era of Japanese internment through the lens of the suspicion and bigotry towards Buddhists and Shintoists. It is part of the story of how Buddhism became an American religion.
The US government wanted the Japanese to assimilate. In this they were successful. Though many cultural and religious things have remained as part of the Japanese American and now the larger culture.
It is well written and there are copious notes.
The US government wanted the Japanese to assimilate. In this they were successful. Though many cultural and religious things have remained as part of the Japanese American and now the larger culture.
It is well written and there are copious notes.
April 16, 2022
Have to admit that I skipped various parts of the detail in this well written book. It documents how being both Japanese-American AND Buddhist (rather than Christian or something else) had dire consequences at the time of WW2. It's a complex story.
August 19, 2022
Interesting angle on Japanese-American internment during WW2: the disparity between Christians and Buddhists. Seems internment inadvertently caused the transformation and the spread of Buddhism in America. Didn’t realize Douglas MacArthur pushed a Christian agenda during the rebuilding of Japan.
April 11, 2020
Deeply researched; eye-opening.
April 12, 2020
Well researched book that help put the experience of our family elders in context.
There are as many unique stories regarding this incarceration as there are people incarcerated.
There are as many unique stories regarding this incarceration as there are people incarcerated.
June 27, 2023
I really, really wanted to like this book. However, it reads more like a trhesis paper than a standard nonfiction.
November 27, 2024
fantastic book on American Buddhism and the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II!!
January 31, 2022
Very comprehensive account of the Japanese-American internment, especially looking through racial and religious lenses at the dual outsider status of Asian and Buddhist (non-Christian and non-Abrahamic). There's stories from both California and Hawaiʻi, which is nice because I didn't hear as much about Japanese internment in Hawaiʻi in my history class.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews