SEATTLE, WA
Saturday, November 20, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm PST
Wing Luke Museum Community Hall
Winter Book-O-Rama book signing
After a year of virtual events, it’s with great pleasure to say we’re having our first Seattle in-person book-signing for We Hereby Refuse. Bring proof of vaccination and your mask and you’ll find Frank Abe, Ross Ishikawa, and Tamiko Nimura seated at socially-distanced tables.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Saturday, October 30, 2021, 5:30-6:30 pm PDT
Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium
2021 Education Conference video poster session
Frank Abe describes the origins of the new graphic novel We Hereby Refuse as a project of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, for the online poster session which explores the story of resistance by Japanese Americans to their wartime incarceration.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Saturday, October 30, 2021, 2:15-3:45 pm PDT
Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium
2021 Education Conference
Moderating the stories from We Hereby Refuse and others for a virtual workshop session on “Trials of Suspicion, Segregation, and Selective Service.” Also presenting are Matt Lautzenheiser on the Enemy Alien Hearing Boards held at Fort Missoula, Montana, and Stan Shikuma on the Tule Lake Segregation Center. Free and open to the public. #JACSC2021. Click here to open the schedule as a PDF, and here for a PDF of the full program.
EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND
Thursday, October 21, 2021, 8:00-10:00 pm Scottish Time
Scottish International Storytelling Festival
I’m representing Seattle as a UNESCO City of Literature by virtually presenting two stories about John Okada and the writing of No-No Boy at the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. The program is called “Global Hearth: Walter Scott and City Writers,” and its hosted by Anna Fancett (Edinburgh), with Frank Abe (Seattle), Nuala Hayes (Dublin) and Dima Matta (Beirut). It’s a ticketed event. See the full program on page 18. #SISFImagine
WASHINGTON, DC
Friday, October 15, 2021, 3:00-5:00 pm EDT
George Washington University
Comics and Graphic Narratives Symposium
In their Fall courses, undergraduate and graduate students will read We Hereby Refuse and I Was Their American Dream. Authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura will be joined by author Malaka Gharib in virtual conversation at a symposium on “Race, Rights, and Immigration in Ethnic American Comics.” We’ll speak about how we went about creating, visualizing, and researching our works, describe the challenges along the way, and fit our work into current debates on the Asian American experience.
NEW YORK, NY
Sunday, October 3, 2021, 12:00-1:00 pm EDT
Brooklyn Book Festival
St. Francis College, Founder’s Hall, 180 Remsen St.
The first in-person event for We Hereby Refuse will be the Brooklyn Book Festival, the largest free literary festival in New York City. It’s a roundtable discussion of historical graphic novels at St. Francis College called “From the Past to the Future” also featuring Brian Keith Mitchell (Monumental), Bill Campbell (The Day the Klan Came to Town), and Dash Shaw (Discipline). Moderated by Lara Saguisag of CUNY College of Staten Island. Free admission. #BKBF. See the Facebook Event.
TADAIMA! A COMMUNITY VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE
Saturday, September 18, 2021, 1:00 pm PDT
“We Hereby Refuse: The Next Generation”
Our graphic novel We Hereby Refuse presents the stories of three Nisei who refused to submit to imprisonment in American concentration camps without a fight. Now meet their children. In this panel for Tadaima! we’ll meet Jim Akutsu’s son Phillip, Mitsuye Endo’s daughter Wendy, and Hiroshi Kashiwagi’s son Soji, and get their reactions to the characterization of their parents. See the Facebook Event and watch the replay on YouTube:
TADAIMA! A COMMUNITY VIRTUAL PILGRIMAGE
Sunday, September 5, 2021, 1:00 pm PDT
“Unlocking Issei Voices in Camp Literature”
The buried past of Issei writing in camp is uncovered in two new publication projects. Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Museum Manager Cally Steussy will unveil the foundation’s new translations of the Heart Mountain Bungei literary magazine, joined by two of her translators, Lisa Hofman-Kuroda and Allison Markin Powell. Writer/editor Frank Abe will discuss other recent translations of Issei writing planned for the forthcoming Penguin Book of the Literature of Japanese American Incarceration, including two commissioned from the Tule Lake Tessaku magazine. See the Facebook Event and watch the replay on YouTube, cued to the start of our anthology discussion:
SACRAMENTO, CA
Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 5:00 pm PDT
Sacramento Public Library “Authors Uncovered“
Our Sacramento book launch will feature the local stories of young Mitsuye Endo and Hiroshi Kashiwagi, with a special focus on Ross Ishikawa’s artwork and the craft of visual storytelling and graphic novel production. Here’s the program, moderated by Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Kara Ueda:
SEATTLE, WA
Monday, August 16, 2021, 6:00 pm PDT
Elliott Bay Book Company author event
A pleasure to be in virtual conversation with Edgar Award-winning mystery novelist Naomi Hirahara, on the publication of her groundbreaking new book CLARK AND DIVISION, centered on the postwar resettlement of Japanese Americans in Chicago. See the Facebook Event notice. Here’s our conversation:
CODY/POWELL, WY
Saturday, July 24, 2021, 2:00 pm MDT
Heart Mountain Pilgrimage “Authors of Incarceration” panel
For the 2021 virtual pilgrimage, the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation has organized an “Authors of Incarceration” panel “with the authors of the most popular books about Japanese American incarceration out now! Panelists include Frank Abe (We Hereby Refuse), Daniel James Brown (Facing the Mountain), Shirley Ann Higuchi (Setsuko’s Secret), and Bradford Pearson (The Eagles of Heart Mountain). Ray Locker and Erin Aoyama will moderate.” Watch the replay on YouTube.
CODY/POWELL, WY
Thursday, July 22, 2021, 11:00 am MDT
NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Virtual Workshop
“We Hereby Refuse: The Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee and other camp resistance“
Frank Abe speaks to educators at this NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Virtual Workshop on his film Conscience and the Constitution and the graphic novel We Hereby Refuse. We will examine mass resistance in all the camps to the government’s administration of a loyalty questionnaire, and the organized resistance at Heart Mountain to compulsory military conscription from inside camp. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and hosted by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Saturday, June 26, 2021, 2:00 pm PDT
Japanese American National Museum
Southern California book launch for We Hereby Refuse. Authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura will read from the graphic novel and describe the process of dramatizing a history that overturns the usual expectations around camp stories, with a special focus on segregation at Tule Lake. Artist Ross Ishikawa will share his use of computer-aided design CAD software to recreate scenes from Japanese American history, and YURI Education Project creators will demonstrate a free online curriculum that accompanies the book. $10 and free for members. This program is co-sponsored by the George and Sakaye Aratani CARE Award, UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center, and the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. Watch on the JANM YouTube channel:
SEATTLE, WA
Saturday, June 26, 2021
2021 Virtual Minidoka Pilgrimage
“The Minidoka Story in We Hereby Refuse”
The experience of incarceration at Minidoka is presented in a way not seen before in a provocative new graphic novel on camp resistance. Join authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura for an inside look at the draft resistance of Jim and Gene Akutsu, the organizing of the Mother’s Society of Minidoka, and the brief life of the Civil Liberties League. UPDATE: See the YouTube video here.
CODY/POWELL, WY
Thursday, June 24, 2021, 10:15 am MDT
NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Virtual Workshop
“We Hereby Refuse: The Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee and other camp resistance“
Frank Abe speaks to educators at this NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture Virtual Workshop on our film Conscience and the Constitution and the graphic novel We Hereby Refuse. We will examine mass resistance in all the camps to the government’s administration of a loyalty questionnaire, and organized resistance at Heart Mountain to compulsory military conscription from inside camp. Funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and hosted by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation.
SEATTLE, WA
Monday, June 14, 2021, 6:00 pm PDT
Seattle Public Library author series
Authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura and artist Ross Ishikawa debut We Hereby Refuse for Seattle library patrons, in conversation with Densho’s Tom Ikeda. Co-sponsored by Densho and the Elliott Bay Book Company. UPDATED with the video recorded by the Seattle Channel:
SEATTLE, WA
Monday, June 14, 2021, 12:00 pm PDT
KUOW “The Record” with Bill Radke
A live conversation about We Hereby Refuse with a former colleague from KIRO Radio days. We’ll chat in the second half-hour. Listen live locally at 94.9 FM. UPDATE: Hear the 17-minute interview segment using the third button of this webpage.
BERKELEY, CA
Thursday, June 3, 2021, 7:00 PDT
KPFA-FM “APEX Express“
In the San Francisco Bay Area , tune in Pacifica Radio’s KPFA 94.1 FM (or stream it live worldwide at KPFA.org) for our conversation about We Hereby Refuse and camp resistance with the Powerleegirls hosts Miko Lee and Jalena Keane-Lee. UPDATE: Listen to the program here or download it as an mp3 to listen later as a podcast.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 8:00 & 11:00 pm
Spectrum News One “Inside the Issues with Alex Cohen”
For Charter Communications cable-tv subscribers in Southern California, from Santa Barbara to North San Diego County, a 9-minute conversation on “Inside the Issues with Alex Cohen” on Spectrum News One.
SANTA CRUZ, CA
Wednesday, May 26, 2021, 12:00 pm PDT
UC Santa Cruz
Presenting We Hereby Refuse to Prof. Brenda Sanfilippo’s class on “War and American Literature,” from WWI to the present.
LOS ANGELES, CA
Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 9:30-10:45 am PDT
UCLA Asian American Studies 40: “Asian American Movement”
A livestream presentation of We Hereby Refuse to Dr. Kelly Fong’s class on the history of the “Asian American Movement.” This program is co-sponsored by the George and Sakaye Aratani CARE Award, UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center, and the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience. Details at the Facebook Event. To get the livestream link, free registration at jaresistance.eventbrite.com.
TACOMA, WA
Tuesday, May 18, 2021, 6:00 pm PDT
King’s Books book talk
On the official date of publication of We Hereby Refuse, authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura join in conversation with Rachel Endo, Founding Dean of the School of Education at the University of Washington Tacoma. Register here to join the Zoom event.
SEATTLE, WA
Friday, April 23, 2021, 10:30 am PDT
Humanities First program
University of Washington
Speaking to the freshman core program, Humanities First, which is reading John Okada’s Seattle-based No-No Boy as its text for the spring HUM 103 course on Community Connections.
SEATTLE, WA
Friday, April 9, 2021, 1:30pm PDT
Association for Asian American Studies virtual conference
Graphic novels open the door to alternative narratives from hitherto-marginalized communities, while increasing student engagement. For the panel, “Unsettling the Japanese American Narrative Through the Graphic Novel,” authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura will present excerpts from We Hereby Refuse that unsettle familiar victim narratives of Japanese American incarceration. Professors Caroline Hong of Queens College CUNY and Alison Mandaville of Cal State Fresno will analyze the work and place it within the larger field of counternarratives and resistance narratives in Asian American Studies.
SEATTLE, WA
Wednesday, March 16, 2021, 4:00 pm PT
Friends of the UW Libraries
Presenting We Hereby Refuse in an informal salon for Friends of the Library at the University of Washington, hosted by Friends of the Library board member Anne Repass.
CALIFORNIA STATE
Sunday, March 7, 2021, 11:15 am PT
California Council for the Social Studies
2021 Virtual Conference
“Teaching Japanese American Resistance Through the Graphic Novel:” Writer Frank Abe & Wing Luke Museum curriculum director Rahul Gupta present We Hereby Refuse to registered conference attendees, along with its accompanying Educator Guide, developed in partnership with the YURI Education Project and supported a grant from the George and Sakaye Aratani CARE Award and UCLA Asian American Studies Center. #CCSS #CCSS2021
SEATTLE, WA
Saturday, February 27, 2021, 8:00 am-3:00 pm PT
Wing Luke Museum teacher training workshop
A day-long workshop for Washington state teachers at which we will debut the Educators Guide and interactive historical timeline that accompany our new graphic novel, We Hereby Refuse. Author Frank Abe will unpack how the structure of the book and its narrative arc upend the usual expectations around camp stories. Wing Luke curriculum director Rahul Gupta will demonstrate a free online curriculum that accompanies the book. To register, go to this link and click on the plus sign (+) next to “Educator Resources.”
SAN JOSE, CA
Sunday, February 21, 2021, 6:00 pm PT
45th anniversary screening of Farewell to Manzanar
West Wind Capitol Drive-in Theater
3630 Hillcap Avenue
Featured actor Frank Abe will host a virtual cast and crew reunion prior to the live and COVID-safe drive-in theater screening of the 1976 TV-movie, Farewell to Manzanar. Sponsored by the Nichi Bei Foundation as the closing night event of its 10th anniversary Films of Remembrance series. Read the Nichi Bei Weekly article about it.
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN
Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, 4:00 – 6:00 pm CT
Twin Cities JACL Day of Remembrance
DOR screening of Conscience and the Constitution followed by an online discussion with director Frank Abe and Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), with Japanese American and Muslim students from the University of Minnesota. Moderated by Twin Cities JACL chapter president Vinicius Taguchi. Watch the saved video stream on YouTube, courtesy of the East Freedom Library.
PUYALLUP, WA
Sunday, February 21, 2021, 1:00 pm PT
Tsuru for Solidary – Seattle car caravan
“Another Time, Another Place” — In advance of a Day of Remembrance car caravan from the Puyallup Fairgrounds to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, original DOR organizer Frank Abe has recorded a video greeting that links the first Day of Remembrance at the fairgrounds in 1978 to the ongoing need to press for release of asylum-seekers still held at the GEO Group private prison operated on behalf of ICE. Sponsored by Tsuru for Solidarity, La Resistencia, Densho, the Minidoka Pilgrimage Planning Committee, Seattle JACL, and Puyallup Valley JACL.
SEATTLE, WA
Saturday, February 20, 2021, 2:00 pm PT
Wing Luke Museum online book launch
Book launch for new graphic novel, We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Resistance to Wartime Incarceration, published by Chin Music Press of Seattle. Authors Frank Abe and Tamiko Nimura will and read from the book. Artists Ross Ishikawa and Matt Sasaki will break down their process.
SEATTLE, WA
Saturday, February 20, 2021, 11:00 am PT
Wing Luke Museum virtual tour of INS Building
A key scene in our graphic novel We Hereby Refuse takes place inside the U.S. Immigration Station, on the edge of Seattle’s Chinatown, where 100 immigrant Issei were held after their arrest by the FBI two months after Pearl Harbor. Writer Frank Abe will join the tour to speak about the detention of Jim Akutsu’s father inside the Immigration Station and show scenes from the book.