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In Enmity and Empathy: Japanese Americans in Minnesota during World War II, St. Olaf College Professor of Asian Studies and Director of Asian Conversations Ka Wong shares a powerful and often overlooked chapter of state and national history.

Drawing on years of collaborative research with St. Olaf students, his new book details the lives of the Japanese Americans who left incarceration camps to resettle in Minnesota after the war. Their stories — of injustice, solidarity, and ultimately resilience — reveal how a state far from the West Coast wrongs became a meaningful site in the broader narrative of wartime displacement and civil rights.

In this Q&A, Wong reflects on the origin of the project, the individuals who brought the story to life, and the urgency of preserving these histories today.

What sparked the idea for Enmity and Empathy? How did you select this particular moment in Minnesotan/Japanese American history to document? 
This book originated from my interest in learning more about Asian and Asian American stories in Minnesota. It grew out of the research and connections my students and I made with people and materials related to Japanese Americans in the state over the years. These local histories are, of course, intertwined with the broader and more troubling episodes of the nation’s past — most notably, the forced removal and mass incarceration of approximately 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry during World War II, following the Executive Order 9066 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Two-thirds of those imprisoned were American citizens.

While Minnesota may not immediately come to mind in discussions of this chapter of American history given that no incarceration camps were located here, the state nonetheless played an important role. The North Star State became part of a complex national network of political decisions, military institutions, and advocacy efforts, both institutional and individual, that helped to build a vibrant Japanese American community during the war years. The demographic shift was striking: in 1940, only 51 Japanese Americans lived in Minnesota; by the end of the war, that number had grown to several thousand.

These are powerful, often heartbreaking stories — fascinating and historically significant — yet still too little known. This book is an effort to bring them to light.

How is this work connected to your previous documentary, Beyond the Barbed Wire: Japanese Americans in Minnesota?
Beyond the Barbed Wire: Japanese Americans in Minnesota laid the foundation for this book. It began as a Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program project with two students, Hikari Sugisaki ’17 and Paul Sullivan ’17. What started as a student-faculty research collaboration organically evolved into a documentary short film. With the generous support of grant agencies such as the Minnesota Historical Society, along with backing from our college, the project expanded further — leading to in-depth research and writing that ultimately became this book.

How did you choose the human voices behind the broader historical narrative? Were there any stories you found particularly urgent to share? 
My students and I are deeply grateful for the opportunity to interview remarkable Japanese Minnesotans — those who experienced forced removal and incarceration, as well as those who served in the war. Hearing their extraordinary stories in their own voices has been both enlightening and profoundly inspiring. These narratives are powerful testimonies to the resilience of Japanese Americans in the face of wartime hysteria and injustice, as well as to the unwavering support of their allies during that turbulent period.

What challenges did you encounter in the research or writing process? 
Time is our greatest adversary. World War II is now a distant chapter in history, and since this project began, several of the individuals who so generously shared their stories with us have passed. The chance to hear these voices firsthand is slipping away — a poignant reminder that preserving these stories is a race against time.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book? 
When people think of Minnesota, they don’t often associate the state’s history with the stories of minority communities. Yet Minnesota is rich with diverse narratives and dynamic communities — its history far more complex and colorful than many assume. This book tells the story of courageous Japanese American trailblazers who left incarceration camps during World War II and rebuilt their lives in Minnesota, persevering through hostility and hardship. Their struggles were not endured alone, however. Overcoming the wartime challenges and chaos required a collective effort; it was not only Japanese Americans, but also their allies — educators, religious groups, military personnel, nonprofit volunteers, and everyday individuals — who stepped forward, spoke out, and stood in solidarity during some of the nation’s darkest hours.

Why do you feel it is important to share these stories — and why now?
This book takes an interdisciplinary approach — drawing on ethnographic interviews, archival sources, and historical scholarship — to illuminate a largely hidden chapter of Minnesota’s history. Many stories from America’s past, particularly those involving minority communities, remain underexplored, unrecognized, and not fully understood. The extraordinary wartime experiences of Japanese Americans and their allies offer a fresh lens through which to view Minnesota’s history, especially during a time of both local and national reflection on war, civil rights, and social justice. Fear-mongering, disinformation, and xenophobia are not new phenomena, nor are they challenges unique to our era. At its heart, this book is about remarkable stories in which unity triumphs over division, and empathy prevails over enmity.