Americans Behind Barbed Wire

Learn more about the WWII-era mass incarceration of Japanese Americans, from people who lived through it, and their family members.
We’ll get to talk with special guests joining us both in-person and virtually.

Part One: Anne Shimojima

Anne Shimojima is a celebrated storyteller and third-generation Japanese American from Chicago. She’ll share her family story, Hidden Memory; An American World War II Story, which she presents with photos from her family and the National Archives to tell the story of a Japanese American community devastated by war but surviving with perseverance, determination, and incredible strength. Ms. Shimojima will Zoom into the library from her home in Chicago.

Part Two: Alice Hikido and Gordon Yamate

Ms. Hikido and Mr. Yamate will join us in person at Menlo Park Library to share their personal and family experiences.

Alice Hikido was 9 years old when she and her family were removed from their home and imprisoned at Minidoka Concentration Camp in Idaho. She lived in the “camp” until the age of 13.

Gordon Yamate’s mother spent the war years within the walls of the Heart Mountain Concentration Camp in Wyoming. Mr. Yamate is Chairman Emeritus of Japanese American National Museum, and active with the Los Gatos Anti-Racism Coalition and the Town of Los Gatos Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission.

The Moderator:
Grace “Megumi” Fleming is a Japanese American bilingual storyteller who has conducted dozens of in-depth interviews with former “internees” and their families. These interviews are archived at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, to be shared with generations to come.

Monday, May 04, 2026 | 04:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St., Menlo Park, CA, 94025

This free event received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.

ONE BOOK ONE COAST:

Throughout the months of April and May, Menlo Park is partnering with LA County library and nearly 200 library systems across California, Washington, and Oregon for One Book, One Coast, a shared community reading program that celebrates literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. Join us for two months of special programming bringing Japanese American history and culture to life.

3/22-5/17
Exhibition: Am I An American or Am I Not?
Fred Korematsu challenged the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

4/8
A Wartime Journey
Yoshiko Kanazawa talks about being forced to relocate to an incarceration camp as a child.

4/10
Japanese Storytime
Ages 2-5 with adult: high-energy storytime full of Japanese culture—all in Japanese

4/14
Draw Manga Moods
Age 8-Adult: draw expressive faces using the unique visual language of Japanese comics

4/20
Sacramento's Lost Japantown
Live virtual event with California Museum

4/21
Teen Book Group (Ages 12-17)
They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei

5/2
Koto Performance and Film
Musician Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on preserving culture in the "camps"

5/4
Americans Behind Barbed Wire
Meet people who lived through mass incarceration, & their family members

5/17
Japanese Taiko Drumming
Drummer Kristy "Aki" Oshiro shares Japanese language, culture, and history

5/31
Author Talk with George Takei
One Book, One Coast wraps up with a special visit from They Called Us Enemy author George Takei, livestreamed from the East Los Angeles Library.

More free events with Menlo Park Library

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