Quiet Americans is a digital storytelling project about Japanese American history — stories of injustice, resilience, and resistance. We explore the lessons we’ve learned and the ones we failed to, from the past.
This project is inspired by the life of one Nisei (a second-generation Japanese American) who went from incarceration camps to volunteering for the U.S. Army. He served in the Pacific, worked in post-war Japan as a Military Intelligence Service officer, and later fought in the Korean War. Yet, like so many in his generation, he rarely spoke about it. He carried his story quietly. We’re here to tell these stories, so we never forget.
Latest Stories
Willie Ito
Inside an incarceration camp, a Sears catalog was Willie Ito’s sketchbook. Those childhood drawings at Topaz eventually led to Disney, Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, and decades later, helped him tell the story of incarceration to a new generation through Hello, Maggie!
Estelle Ishigo
Artist Estelle Ishigo voluntarily entered a Japanese American concentration camp during World War II, where she found acceptance and created some of the most important visual records of incarceration.
Morris Chang
Morris Chang was passed over for CEO at Texas Instruments before founding TSMC, the company that transformed Taiwan into the global leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Karl Bendetsen
Karl Bendetsen conceived, drafted, and processed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the mass removal of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during World War II. Decades later, he denied responsibility while lying about his own identity.
Miné Ōkubo
Artist Miné Ōkubo created more than 2,000 sketches while incarcerated during World War II. Her memoir, Citizen 13660, became one of the most important firsthand accounts of the Japanese American incarceration.
GI Bill
Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944, the GI Bill helped thousands of Japanese American veterans attend college, build careers, and rebuild their lives after incarceration and World War II.
Top Stories
Japanese Canadian Incarceration
January 14, 1942 marked the beginning of a seven-year exile for Japanese Canadians. More than 27,000 people were removed, incarcerated, and barred from returning home until 1949.
Miyoshi Umeki
In 1958, Miyoshi Umeki became the first Asian actress to win an Academy Award. It was a historic moment, but not a turning point. Her career reflects the limits placed on Asian performers in Hollywood, even after the highest recognition.
Kanaye Nagasawa
Kanaye Nagasawa was the first Japanese national to live permanently in the United States and became the first Wine King of California. His legacy tells a story of ambition, success, and an American dream that could not be passed on because of discriminatory laws.