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The Japanese who migrated to Australia before 1901 were not only the prostitutes, pimps and pearlers of popular fiction. They were families, farmers and fishermen, entrepreneurs and itinerants. With determination and ambition, many of them successfully established themselves in their new home. But the few who were granted citizenship were later stripped of the status, and untold numbers made applications which were refused. With the outbreak of World War II, property and possessions were confiscated, many were interned and most were denied permission to remain in the country when the war ended. Focusing on the stories of individuals, this engaging account examines the Japanese presence in Australia from the late colonial period until World War II.