American Sutra

Winner of the Grawemeyer Award in ReligionA Los Angeles Times Bestseller"Raises timely and important questions about what religious freedom in America truly means."--Ruth Ozeki"A must-read for anyone interested in the implacable quest for civil liberties, social and racial justice, religious freedom, and American belonging."--George TakeiOn December 7, 1941, as the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor, the first person detained was the leader of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist sect in Hawai'i. Nearly all Japanese Americans were subject to accusations of disloyalty, but Buddhists aroused particular suspicion. From the White House to the local town council, many believed that Buddhism was incompatible with American values. Intelligence agencies targeted the Buddhist community, and Buddhist priests were deemed a threat to national security.In this pathbreaking account, based on personal accounts and extensive research in untapped archives, Duncan Ryūken Williams reveals how, even as they were stripped