Beth Burbank

Nisei Resistance and Resilience

History & Biography

“Allen Maruyama, the son of Japanese, Buddhist sharecroppers, is embraced by Colorado neighbors and a small-town Presbyterian church. However, he confronts the racism of the surrounding community following Pearl Harbor and struggles with internalized self-hatred. His spiritual journey takes him on a ‘trail of discrimination,’ but he experiences his own healing as he ministers to others. Purvis-Smith does a beautiful job of describing his complicated, inspiring, and compassionate life.”