Anne Patterson Finn

Nisei Resistance and Resilience

History & Biography

“This book is an insightful exploration of one Japanese American man’s journey from his youth in rural Colorado, overcoming the overt and subtle discrimination in mid-century America, to become a gifted and sought-after pastor in the Presbyterian Church, and his attempts to scale the heights of its leadership. Purvis-Smith’s thorough and sensitive depiction of Allen Maruyama’s life reveals the struggles and triumphs he experienced as he sought and succeeded to serve those in need and to address many of society’s ills and challenges, including racism, penal reform, homelessness and disengaged youth. His admirable personal traits and inspiring journey of resistance and resilience are comprehensively, carefully, and elegantly showcased in these pages.”