About

QUIET AMERICANS is a digital storytelling project founded by Phil Mimaki, a sansei (third-generation Japanese American) and graphic designer, inspired by the turbulent life of his father, Claude Mimaki.

Claude’s journey reflects the experience of many in his generation. As a young adult, he was incarcerated with his family during World War II — simply for being Japanese American. Despite that injustice, he volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army, soon becoming a Military Intelligence Service officer. He served in the Pacific, worked in post-war Japan, and later fought in the Korean War. But like so many who lived through extraordinary times, he rarely spoke of it.

That silence, common among Japanese Americans of that era, is what this project seeks to address. Quiet Americans exists to uncover and amplify the stories of injustice, resilience, and resistance that shaped, and continue to shape, not just the Japanese American experience, but the American experience. These stories matter. They help us understand not just our history, but who we are.