Explore This Section
Like Friends, Like Foes: A Conversation on Nikkei History and Redress
A conversation on Nikkei history and redress, plus book talk and signing
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 | 6 pm – 8 pm
Join us for an evening of storytelling and history with author Andrew Russell and local activist Fumiko (Fumie) Shimada. Together, they will uncover the little-known history of Japanese Americans in Nevada and compare their wartime experiences with those of California’s Nikkei community. From the struggles of the 1940s to the successful fight for redress in the 1990s, learn the inspirational stories of individuals who stood up for civil rights and won.
This is a free event, and advance registration is required. Light refreshments will be provided.
Speakers
Andrew Russell
Historian and author whose new book Like Friends, Like Foes: Japanese American and Nevada Through World War II (University of Nevada Press, 2026) provides fresh insights into the Nikkei experience in the West.
Fumiko (Fumie) Shimada
Local activist who spearheaded the quest for redress for “forgotten” railroad and mining families, winning reparations for their wartime losses a decade after the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 brought a measure of justice to thousands of other Japanese Americans.
