Author: George Takei, They Called Us Enemy

Discover the story behind They Called Us Enemy with actor, author, and activist George Takei. Takei reflects on his childhood experience in U.S. incarceration camps during World War II and discusses the lasting impact of this history today. Presented as part of One Book, One Coast, this virtual program features Takei in conversation with Skye Patrick of the Los Angeles County Library and Cathy De Leon of the Long Beach Public Library.

George Takei is a renowned civil rights activist, social media icon, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned over six decades. Best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, Takei has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television episodes. He has leveraged his public profile to champion social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality. Takei’s advocacy is deeply personal. As a child during World War II, he and his family were among the 125,000 Japanese Americans unjustly imprisoned in U.S. incarceration camps—a formative experience that shaped his lifelong commitment to civil rights and public service. Currently, Takei serves as chair emeritus and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Japanese American National Museum. He was appointed to the Japan-United States Friendship Commission by President Bill Clinton and, in 2004, was honored by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his significant contributions to U.S.-Japan relations.

Stretching from California’s southern border to northmost tip of Washington state, One Book, One Coast 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 (2019), 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.