Tamiko Nimura

Tamiko Nimura, Ph.D., is an award-winning Asian American (Sansei/Pinay) creative nonfiction writer, community journalist, and public historian. She writes from an interdisciplinary space at the intersection of her love of literature, grounding in American ethnic studies, wisdom from teachers and activists, and storytelling through history. Her work has appeared in a variety of national and international outlets, including San Francisco Chronicle, Smithsonian Magazine, Off Assignment, Narratively, The Rumpus, HYPHEN, Zócalo Public Square, SFMOMA Open Space, KNKX, and Seattle’s International Examiner. She is a proud alum of VONA, Seventh Wave, and Hugo House. She has received support and awards from the Ford Foundation, the City of Tacoma Artists Initiative, the Tacoma Arts Commission, and the Tacoma Historical Society. Her commissioned work includes a permanent exhibit in California, a co-authored graphic novel (WE HEREBY REFUSE), and a 10+-year series of essays for the Japanese American National Museum. As the direct descendant of Japanese American World War II incarcerees, Tamiko has worked to keep this history alive through her writing and public speaking. Her forthcoming memoir from the University of Washington Press is titled A PLACE FOR WHAT WE LOSE: A DAUGHTER’S RETURN TO TULE LAKE.