We Are Not Strangers: A Graphic Novel by Josh Tuininga
Growing up in Seattle, Josh Tuininga tagged along with his grandfather to Pike Place Market, where they shopped at a Japanese seafood market. He wondered why his papoo, the son of Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Turkey, knew entire Japanese families by name.
Using family stories as source material, We Are Not Strangers shines a light on a lesser-known part of World War II history. In pre-war Seattle, the Central District was where Tuininga’s family called home. They lived side by side with other immigrant families like Sam Akiyama’s, who were redlined out of other neighborhoods. When the government rounded up Japanese people and sent them to internment camps, Tuininga’s great-grandfather and other Jewish families stepped in to safeguard their neighbors’ homes and businesses.
With frequent time jumps and a large cast of characters, We Are Not Strangers is less detailed than history fans might hope for. However, the author’s personal connection to this part of Seattle history makes this a compelling read about cross-cultural friendship.
Reviewed by Emma Radosevich, collection development librarian, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Bellingham Alive February 2025 issue.)