“One Book, One Coast” w/ San Francisco Public Library: They Called Us Enemy

San Francisco Public Library

Stretching from California’s southern border to northmost tip of Washington state, One Book, One Coast (OBOC) is a brand-new, multi-state community reading initiative that brings readers together around a shared book, sparking conversation, programs and reflection across the West Coast.

Our inaugural selection is They Called Us Enemy, a graphic memoir by George Takei that recounts his childhood experience of incarceration alongside more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were U.S. citizens, following Executive Order 9066 in 1942.

Read along March-May 2026 and join the programs and discussions it inspires.

What happens when fear and prejudice become government policy? In They Called Us Enemy, George Takei shares his childhood experience of being incarcerated with his family in U.S. camps during World War II. Told through the graphic memoir format, the book follows Takei from early childhood to his later understanding of what it meant to lose his home, freedom, and civil rights. Clear, powerful, and deeply human, They Called Us Enemy connects personal memory to American history, showing how injustice leaves lasting marks on individuals, families, and communities.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.