Parker’s Pages: We Are Not Strangers

While reading for this column, I often find myself stumbling upon books that feel like a direct reflection of the times we are currently living through here in America. I find this to be one of the greatest gifts of reading and enjoying art—the ability to see current and past events (political, historical, or otherwise) through a new lens. In our current times, where human beings are being sent to detention centers and we are seeing the blatant discrimination of various marginalized groups by those in power, I have found myself drawn to books that highlight our country’s history and shed light on the pervasive and unstoppable hope for a better future.

We Are Not Strangers by Josh Tuininga

The Evergreen Echo

We Are Not Strangers is a powerful graphic novel. Written and illustrated by Josh Tuininga, We Are Not Strangers explores the relationship between Marco, a Jewish immigrant, and his friend, Sam Akiyama, a first generation Japanese American. Marco and Sam navigate the discrimination and displacement of their communities in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and during World War II while trying to look out for their families and for each other.

The novel is set in a familiar landscape for many of us here in the Puget Sound: the Central Waterfront in Seattle. Set in the years between 1938 and 1945, we are taken back to a time of deep unrest in America and abroad. While this novel explores the dark side of these historical events—hate, expulsion, genocide, and fear—there is an undercurrent of empathy, love, and above all, hope.

Based on true events, We Are Not Strangers explores a myriad of complicated events in a digestible way. Immigration, war, hate crimes, financial struggle, mental health, and bystanding vs. action all take center stage in Tuininga’s comic. Similar to other political graphic novels like the Maus series by Art Spiegelman (1986), Palestine #1 and #2 by Joe Sacco (1996), and Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton (2022), We Are Not Strangers is a marriage between art, history, and activism. It does not shy away from the seriousness of its subject matter but uses images to make a hard-to-swallow story more approachable for a reader, whether that reader be an adult or a child.

We Are Not Strangers is beautiful. From the art style to the dialogue to the story itself, there is an abundance of respect and love weaved within the novel. Tuininga takes special care to create an immersive world with the drawings of his backgrounds and characters. Throughout, there are familiar Seattle landmarks: Pier 52, Pike Place Market, and Seward Park all make their appearances.

I was also particularly struck by a full-page spread dedicated to a row of warm, bright cherry blossoms. During a poignant moment, where one character is considering if and how he should help his friend being displaced by Executive Order 9066 (part of the Japanese Exclusion Act), this page comes as a break in the normal flow of the panels of the graphic novel. Standing below the cherry blossoms, the main character looks up with thoughtfulness and fear. Nearby, a sign reads, “to Seattle from Japan”, like a love letter or gift. It perfectly mirrors the sentiment of the novel, that the people we meet—no matter where they are from—are a gift, one that can change our landscape and perspective, one that we must protect and care for. It also felt like a familiar scene, even set so many years ago, as cherry blossoms still bloom all over Seattle in the spring.

What I found most impressive about We Are Not Strangers was how much care was put into making this story accessible and understandable for all ages. There is no overly verbose or complicated dialogue, meaning that someone of any reading level could understand what was being said and what was happening. I also appreciated that, while the retelling of these historical events was accurate and serious, there was no reliance on violence or gore to shock the reader. With these choices, the novel creates a great way to teach a younger generation about important history. It also offers helpful guiding questions to use when using the book to teach or to deepen your own understanding.

Quote from We Are Not Strangers

The Evergreen Echo

We Are Not Strangers is an important read, with so many parallels between Japanese American incarceration after Pearl Harbor and the current mass deportation of immigrants by the current Republican Administration. This novel already compares two historical events—the Holocaust and the Japanese American incarceration—showing how the victim of one of these historical acts of extreme violence responds when they see another, similar act of violence. As we face yet another instance of history repeating itself, stories like these help us figure out what to do, how to help, and to find empathy and understanding. It also highlights injustice by showing how these same fears and unfair actions continue to resurface, just with a different (or often the same) target.

In an ever-changing political landscape here and abroad, I highly encourage you to keep reading stories like We Are Not Strangers to educate yourself on our history, examine your beliefs, and ultimately to take action.