We Are Not Strangers: A Graphic Novel

by Josh Tuininga, Ken Mochizuki (introduction), Devin Naar (afterword)

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.

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 and artist 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 Marco’s grandfather’s perspective, we learn of his life as a Sephardic Jewish immigrant living in America and his struggles as he settles into an America gearing up its war efforts. Despite the war raging just outside US borders, Papoo befriends Sam Akiyama, a Japanese man who finds his world upended from President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. Determined to keep Sam’s business afloat while he and his family are unjustly incarcerated, Papoo creates a plan that not only changes the lives of the Akiyamas but of the entire Nihonmachi community.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Jewish, Fiction, Comics

197 pages, Hardcover

First published September 12, 2023

About the author

Josh Tuininga is an author, artist, and graphic designer based in North Bend, WA. A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Tuininga's artistic career has explored a variety of mediums including sequential art, animation, painting and design. In 2003, he founded an Art + Design Agency, The Medium where he continues to work as Creative Director.

Reviews

[PeytonReadsAlot (Taylor’s Version)]

We Are Not Strangers by Josh Tuninga is based on a true story and it is an exciting and powerful novel that follows the main character's Grandfather during World War II. A friend of their grandfathers was a Japanese immigrant who was incarcerated during this time. The book follows him helping them out during the time they are gone. The story is powerful and interesting. This book was a giveaway I entered and got sent by ABRAMS Books. I got sent this book back in September and have finally written a review.

The art in this graphic novel is very beautiful and unique. The book was quite a page-turner and seemingly realistic. Personally, I have not researched World War II that much and only know as much as I have learned in books I have read or learned in school. Sadly in Florida, United States we don't learn much significant stuff. In the next couple of months, I am going to try to read more books about World War II. The characters are overall just normal people and do powerful things. This shows that anyone can be an amazing person even if they aren't superhuman or have powers like a superhero. This may seem like something a friend or mother would say to you when you are in trouble. The book shows the sadness of what had happened and how discrimination was very popular in the mid-1900s in the United States.

This book was the Author's first Graphic novel and he was very successful when he created it. The book is not the normal selection he has written before. The author, Josh Tuininga, has written two other books which are children's books. Why Blue? and Dream On are the other two he had written before. The design of the slip-on cover and hardcover book and such amazing designs and the author had designed both. The book I own and won from the Giveaway is Beautiful Cherry Blossoms on the cover and they seem to be in their last bloom on the back and the same type on the front which has a connection to the timeline of the book. The first time of the timeline was December 23rd of the year of 1987 and ends on the same day.

This book is a book everyone should read whether they like graphic novels or not. I suggest you either borrow it from a local library or buy it from an online bookstore. The book is currently out to the public and has been since August of 2023. I also suggest reading another book by Josh Tuininga, either 'Why Blue?' or 'Dream On' they both are quick reads and I expect are interesting. They are both out currently and you can order online or find them in stores.

Personally, I loved this book so much and it is a wonderful addition to my shelf.

[Laura]

The problem with time, is that it keeps moving forward, and those who experienced things, in the past, begin to die off, until there are no original voices that can tell you what happened to them. This is true with the time of the Second World War, those who were alive as children are really the only ones left, so if there is a story to tell, they should tell it quickly or else it will come to us second hand, through their children.

That is how “We Are not Strangers” by Josh Tuininga was written. He has based this story on what he knew of what his grandfather did, from stories told in his family, and by others who knew him, such as his uncle. How he helped the Japanese-Americans in the Seattle area, by keeping their homes and businesses for them. I have heard such stories before. My mother used to tell me how her neighbors paid the mortgage on one of the Japanese-American families that got sent away, so that they would have their home to come back to.

This is a good story, mind you, but it is several generations removed from the actual voice of those this happened to. That doesn’t diminish the story in any way, and I commend the author for writing another story about what it was like. It is still just as heartbreaking. It is still just as hard. It is still a horrible thing that these second and third generation people went through, some, as a teacher once pointed out, didn’t even speak Japanese any more.

I do like how his grandfather, having immigrated from Hungary during the beginning of the 1920s, knew what it was like to lose everything, and have to start over again, which makes this story all the more pointed.

Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be published, in full color, September 12, 2023.

[Kim Lockhart]

This was informative and timely. The story of how some brave people helped Japanese Americans during WWII is vastly undertold.

I wish this had been even longer, detailing a bit more about what it was like before these families immigrated, and after, their early days in America. In particular, most of us know so little about Sephardic Jews. Still, it was meticulously researched, and deeply personal for the author.

[Heidi]

Required ReadingTM for a non-existent empathy 101 class all red hat Americans should be obliged to take

[Peacegal]

This is a wonderfully illustrated and presented graphic novel about everyday heroism and a fascinating life lived. WE ARE NOT STRANGERS is not to be missed.

[Emily Taft]

literally read this cover to cover in one sitting at the library. the image of marco standing under the cherry blossoms is so powerful

[Vera Versteeg]

Way too timely, unfortunately. But full of hope.

[Jessica]

I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Growing up in the Seattle area, the forced internment camps were something I learned about by the time I was nine years old. But only as an adult did I begin to learn about the community members who stepped up to support their unfairly incarcerated neighbors (and the community members who gleefully took advantage of their absence, I SEE YOU BELLEVUE). This graphic novel is the story of a member of one of those communities, a Sephardic Jewish immigrant who was often marginalized like his Japanese and Japanese-American neighbors. When his neighbors were forced to leave their homes for prison camps, he stepped up, finding ways to support them while they were incarcerated, and trying to give them relief when they were released. Seattle's Jewish population is not as predominant as many other marginalized communities here, but this is an important story to tell about their history as well as that of Seattle itself. I will absolutely be recommending this as part of any Seattle history readers' advisory.

[Joanne]

This well-researched and executed graphic novel reflects the shared experiences of discrimination faced by both Sephardic Jews and Japanese Americans, who arrived in Seattle around the same time and faced cultural and linguistic barriers. Marco befriends Nisei fisherman Sam Akiyama, and after the Japanese internment begins, he takes care of the Akiyama family’s home and business in their absence, an act of quiet resistance and compassion that his own family only learns about after his death.

In addition to the story, there’s a long appendix with maps, illustrations, and even headline sources from Seattle’s past. This makes an educational resource as well as a warm, family story. Having visited that area of Seattle, I found it especially interesting and wished that I had read this book before that trip.

This one was a labor of love based on a family story and it shows.

[Kyra]

The art is gorgeous, but I wasn’t super wowed by the writing. It’s such an important story, and it felt too quickly told. I also would’ve liked more of the narrator’s own perspective and experiences folded in.

[Wendy]

This is the best graphic novel I have read so far, even though I haven't read a lot of them! I probably like it so much because it is a historical fiction which is my favorite genre. The art is very high quality and more realistic than most graphic novels! With all that I have read about WWII, I am always surprised and intrigued that there is so much more to learn!

I was horrified to first learn (in my early 40's) about American Japanese incarceration camps from the historical fiction book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet! I was never taught about them in school and there was actually one of these camps in my home state! This book gave more insights into how people helped their Japanese friends and neighbors while they were incarcerated in the Seattle area!

Along with many other things in this book, I was introduced to Sephardic Jews. These people were originally from Spain or Portugal and then we're displaced to the Middle East (mostly around the Turkey area) for hundreds of years! They have their own language called Ladino which is very similar to Spanish & Portugal! I love learning new things from historical fiction!

[Lindsay]

This was so interesting. I wish it went more into the details legally about how Papoo helped the Japanese Americans in his neighborhood.

[C]

Spontaneous read at the beach!

[Cindy]

This was a quick but informative read in a genre that I don't usually do. This story deals with the events of WWII as it relates to Sephardic Jews, Japanese internment camps, and the impact one person can have on the lives of the people around them. The illustrations are simple, but they speak so loudly and fill in so much feeling and emotion that sit between the words. This book is a great way for your MS or HS student (even older elementary age) students to tackle a tough subject in a unique way. It is extremely well-reseaeched. Be sure to read the notes at the end of the book.

[Priya]

This graphic novel based on a true story, brings to light the internment of Japanese-Americans in the US during WW2 in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbour bombing. I first came to know about this in Hotel at the corner of bitter and sweet by Jamie Ford which was a very intense and emotional read. This book has wonderful illustrations and spare prose that tell the tale from another angle.

Marco Calvo always knew his grandfather to be a loving, generous man but he is surprised to see a number of people at his funeral whom he cannot place. When he enquires, he learns of a part of his grandfather's life that no one knew about. Of how his grandfather, also Marco,a Sephardic Jew from Turkey, having faced ostracism himself after he emigrated and managed to make a life for himself and his family, could not look away when the Japanese Americans in his neighborhood in Seattle were stripped of their possessions and taken away to camps as a precaution. Among them was his friend Sam Akiyama and Marco resolved to help by ensuring his friend and others like him would not lose everything by the time they were allowed to return. Their possessions were taken over by 'true white Americans' and Marco had to figure out a way to prevent this from happening and he found a clever way to do this. This story is told by Sam Akiyama to Marco's grandson years later and he realises the positive impact his grandfather's courage and timely help had.

The atrocious internment of even American citizens of Japanese origin during this time as a reaction to a bombing they had no part in just highlighted the bias against those deemed 'other'. This book shows how even in those times of war, there were people who risked everything to retain their humanity and help fellow humans. It is an important example of the basic goodness in the midst of so much wrongdoing and deserves to be read and appreciated.

[BiblioBickie]

Accessible, short (rarely more than 20 words on a page) graphic novel showing an example of allyship in Seattle's Central District during World War II when a Sephardic Jewish man helps keep his Japanese neighbors' property safe when they are incarcerated after Executive Order 9066.

Inspired by an oral history provided by the author's uncle about the uncle's grandfather. I cannot find evidence that the grandfather is also related to the author. Author conducted much research, cited in the back matter, including Seattle landmarks, headlines in contemporary newspapers, and oral histories. Introduction by Ken Mochizuki (Those who helped us and Baseball saved us) and Afterword by Devin E. Naar, Professor in Sephardic Studies at University of Washington, both of which provide more historical detail and context for the story. Author's note describes his uncle Marco's story, the author's experience with his own papoo's (grandfather) maintaining a relationship with the Japanese family fish market near Pike Place Market and accompanying him on errands in the Central District. Back matter also includes a glossary, which describes Ashkenazi Jews as having "originated in Central and Eastern Europe" and Sephardic Jews as "from areas around the Mediterranean Sea, including Portugal, Spain, the Middle East, and Northern Africa." Ladino is described as being "carried by the descendants of the Spanish Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492."

I'm not sure of the purpose of including the whispering among women during the rabbi's Shabbat HaGadol sermon.

[Ellen D. Reads]

Josh Tuininga, through beautiful full scale and richly drawn graphics, transports the young reader to Seattle, Washington during the late 1930s and early 1940s. Marco Calvo mourns the death of his Sephardic Jewish grandfather, Papoo, and notices Japanese Americans filing in to commemorate Sam Calvo's life. Through the craft of flashback, Sam Akiyama, a dear friend of Marco's Papoo, shares Marco's grandfather intense involvement in salvaging the livelihood of the Akiyama family after forced incarceration. Tuininga's images, often darkly shaded, are poignant reminders of the desperate and bleak World War II American effort to relocate and imprison all Japanese Americans. Tuininga cleverly juxtaposes the forced removal of the Jews from their home in Europe with the swift and unfair removal of the Japanese Americans to internment camps. This tender books shares sacrifice on a level that is befitting for a middle school reader. This work is a teaching tool for shedding light on American fear and distrust following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. We Are Not Strangers could perfectly rest on a low rung of a reading ladder while building for more in-depth novels like Farewell to Manzanar.

[julia jean]

it’s been awhile since I read a graphic novel! the art was so beautiful & the story so poignant. thanks to maman for handing this book to me to read while I was in Tacoma. more-so thanks to the Tacoma public library book club for having this be their book this month so maman had it!

I loved that this was based in Seattle & shed light on such a horrible time in the country. This feels particularly relevant as I visited the Japanese American exclusion memorial on bainbridge island a couple months ago with a board I sit on. We were taken through the memorial by Lilly Kitamoto Kodama, a 90 year old survivor of the internment camps. It was so powerful to not only hear her story but to see the photos of her as a child & her family being taken away scattered throughout the memorial site. Such a big part of our history in the puget sound & these atrocities must be publicized & understood.

I thought this graphic novel was a beautiful & unique way to showcase this history. So well done. The only thing is that I wish it was longer!

[Nina]

I read this book because it was a selection for the “Tacoma Reads.” It’s a yearly selection where the community of Tacoma reads the same book. This was selected for the teen Tacoma Reads. I needed to read a Tacoma Reads book and the adult choice didn’t seem interesting. I needed a Tacoma Reads book for my Tacoma Library Extreme Reader challenge, so decided to read the teen choice, this graphic novel.

Bonus, the book is local, set in Seattle! The main character is Marco Calvo, a Sephardic Jewish immigrant from Turkey. I didn’t know Sephardic Jews existed, so I’m excited to have learned something new!

Calvo helps a fishing buddy, a Japanese immigrant save his home and business after his family are rounded up from their Seattle home and interned. Many Japanese lost their homes and businesses, but some were saved thanks to the help of other people. The book talked about the old immigrant community in Seattle and how it changed. And of course about the internment of Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

[Linda L]

Three stars is probably not a fair rating since I have read so few graphic novels. The story is interesting and inspiring, and I love that it’s set in and is about Seattle, albeit an extremely sad and shameful time period. Still, when I had finished the actual graphic novel part of the book, what most interested me was the text information at the end about the author, his family and his research and statistics about Seattle and the forced Japanese incarceration due to Executive Order 9066. I think I love traditional fiction novels too much to fully appreciate a graphic novel.

[Alan]

In this time of division, and outright racism (I think of people in Sydney chanting gas the Jews), a book like this is absolutely critical reading. This lovingly rendered book shows a selfless man, a Jew, doing everything he can to save not only his Japanese American friend during the abhorrent internment, but saving Seattle's Japanese American community, which he did quietly and beautifully. The author only learned about this at his funeral

[Mimi]

Based on stories the author heard from his uncle, We Are Not Strangers is a graphic novel that tells the story of how some Jews (and others) in Seattle, helped out their Japanese friends and neighbors when Japanese Americans were incarcerated during WWII. As a result, they did not lose their homes and livelihoods after being sent away. With colorful graphics, this is a well-researched story.

[Meg]

Had the chance to read an advanced review copy, and really looking forward to seeing the full color edition of this. These are the types of stories that too easily get lost; making sure they stay in public memory is important work, reminding us that there are always opportunities to help others, even in dark times when it may seem we have little power.

[Nicole Long]

I won this historical graphic novel in a Goodreads giveaway. I read it (poured over it!) in one sitting! The story...so simple yet so powerful. The artwork complemented the story respectfully and beautifully. This true story, in a graphic novel style, hit a bigger punch for me than a traditional book would have. Appropriate for all ages.

[Paris Jordanger]

This book is excellent. It discusses a topic of American history that is often left out of our education because it makes the U.S. look bad. That's exactly why it needs to be discussed. Hopefully, with the accessibility of both the art style and writing, the experience of those in Japanese internment camps can reach people who otherwise would never have known.

[Erikka]

What an absolutely beautiful story of love and acceptance of all people and going to extremes to support a neighbor in need. I love this grandson learning about the amazing feats his grandfather completed to help protect the property of his Japanese neighbors during the shameful and horrific internment of the 1940s.

[Emily Weathers]

I discovered this book through the recommendation of several students after assigning rhetorical analysis presentations on Graphic non-fiction literature book choices. This is SUCH a great story! It pairs well with Elie Wiesel’s speech “Perils of Indifference,” showing what bystanders can do when feeling powerless in the face of injustice.

[Barbora Havelkova]

A story of one family that explores questions of community, immigration and friendship. I enjoyed the beautiful illustrations of some places I know in Seattle and learned something about it’s not so beautiful history and the reality of unique situation of Japanese and Jewish Americans living in Seattle during the WWII.

[Lydia]

Really really good, I love the amount of research and historical information that went into this story, and the narrative still led me to tear up at one point (or several). I think the author did a great job, and definitely a quick, informative, and moving read that I’d recommend to others.

[Deb Urbano]

This graphic novel made a connection between Sephardic Jews and interred Japanese Americans in Seattle that I was not aware of previously. Strong storyline and colorful illustrations made this a quick but powerful read.