We invite you to explore “They Called Us Enemy”: Japanese American Incarceration During WWII, a new exhibit on view here at The Claremont Colleges Library through July 1, 2026.
Located on Mudd 2, the exhibit examines the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Inspired by the 2019 graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, it draws from our Japanese American Incarceration archival collections and presents materials that document the experiences of individuals and families impacted by Executive Order 9066 in 1942.
Through these materials — and the voices captured within them — we invite you to engage with the lived experiences of more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were U.S. citizens, who were forcibly removed from their homes and confined in prison camps across the United States.
We encourage you to read They Called Us Enemy alongside your visit. Physical copies are available through the Library, and the e-book can be accessed online.
You can also continue your learning through a curated selection of secondary sources related to Japanese American incarceration during World War II. These materials are available for browsing on Mudd 2 near the exhibit and on Honnold 1 near the Main Services Desk. Additional scholarly literature materials related to this topic that are available for check-out from The Claremont Colleges Library can also be reviewed online.
This is part of the inaugural One Book, One Coast (OBOC) program, a multi-state community reading initiative that invites readers to engage with a shared text through discussion, programs and reflection. This year’s OBOC selection, They Called Us Enemy, connects readers across communities through a shared exploration of this history.