An astounding new set of biographical portraits in Japanese American history
Through stories of remarkable people in Japanese American history, The Unknown Great illuminates the diversity of the Nikkei experience from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day. Acclaimed historian and journalist Greg Robinson delves into a range of themes from race and interracial relationships to sexuality, faith, and national identity. In accessible short essays drawn primarily from his newspaper columns, Robinson examines the longstanding interactions between African Americans and Japanese Americans, the history of LGBTQ+ Japanese Americans, religion in Japanese American life, mixed-race performers and political figures, and more. This collection is sure to entertain and inform readers, bringing fresh perspectives and unfamiliar stories from Japanese American history and centering the lives of unheralded figures who left their mark on American life.

Greg Robinson is a professor of history at the Université du Québec À Montréal and the author of several books, including The Unsung Great: Stories of Extraordinary Japanese Americans (University of Washington Press, 2020), After Camp: Portraits in Midcentury Japanese American Life and Politics (University of California Press, 2012), and The Unknown Great: Japanese American Sketches (University Press of Colorado, 2016). He also co-edited (with Frank Abe and Floyd Cheung) John Okada: The Life and Rediscovered Work of the Author of No-No Boy (University of Washington Press, 2018), which won the 2019 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation.

Greg Robinson's profile page

Jonathan van Harmelen is a PhD candidate in History at UC Santa Cruz. A specialist in US political and civil rights history, he is currently authoring a study on Congress and Japanese Americans. In addition to his collaborative work with Greg Robinson, he writes for several Japanese American newspapers, including Discover Nikkei, the Rafu Shimpo, and International Examiner.

Jonathan Harmelen's profile page

"Remarkable. . . Pursuing archival research during the COVID-19 pandemic and drawing from his writings for a Japanese American newspaper and the Japanese American National Museum, Robinson explores new topics seldom touched on by previous historical scholarship."

Choice