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A new book written by Andrew B. Russell examines how Japanese and Japanese Americans living in Nevada were affected by the WWII internment as they struggled to maintain their dignity & civil rights.
Published in 2026 by University of Nevada Press in Reno, "Like Friends, Like Foes: Japanese Americans and Nevada through World War II" by Andrew B. Russell explores the racial, social and financial difficulties faced by Nevadans of Japanese descent at the emergence of Executive Order 9066 from then President Franklin D. Roosevelt in answer to Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. This executive order resulted in the nationwide non-consensual relocation and internment to harsh remote locations of Japanese and Japanese Americans during WWII. Nevada towns - Ely, McGill and Ruth - where residents worked railroad, mining, and agricultural jobs were severely affected as well as other Japanese residents scattered across the state.
Although there was no internment camp in State of Nevada, Japanese and Japanese Americans living in Nevada followed the same federal restrictions imposed on Pacific Coast states. All because of their race they were forced to register as enemy aliens; surrender weapons; subjected to surveillance, curfews, and travel restrictions; and were required to answer the skewed "loyalty" questions about allegiance to America or Japan. Many residents were compelled to move to internment camps in California and Utah with some first-generation immigrants being arrested and sent to detention centers. In this special presentation recognizing Asian American-Native Hawaiian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Andrew reveals Nevada's part in this WWII history, its immigration reforms since WWII, and current public perceptions in regard to Nevada's Japanese American and Asian populations.
Books will be available for purchase & signing after the presentation.
Free and open to the public. Seating will be first come, first served, and may be limited. For more information, please call 702.507.3458.
Presented in partnership with University of Nevada Press, Reno.
AGE GROUP: | Teens | Seniors | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Lectures & Conversations | Community Events | Books, Poetry & Writing |
| Mon, Feb 16 | Closed |
| (President’s Day) | |
| Tue, Feb 17 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
| Wed, Feb 18 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
| Thu, Feb 19 | 10:00AM to 8:00PM |
| Fri, Feb 20 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
| Sat, Feb 21 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
| Sun, Feb 22 | 10:00AM to 6:00PM |
Originally opening in 1966 as a three-room library within the Airport Annex building, the Clark County Library moved in 1967 to a storefront. In 1971, the library moved again to its current location using deeded land from the County and with money awarded by the Max C. Fleishman Foundation. The building went on to have two remodels: one completed in 1986, and the second completed in 1994, which resulted in the three-story, 120,000-square-foot building it is today. This redesign notably included a 399-seat theater and an 80-seat black box theater/dance studio. The Library District also added the Best Buy Teen Tech Center, which provides a place for teens to explore and master new technologies and digital skills.
