VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK – The First Indonesians in the Tri-State Area: A Hidden History of Migration & Survival

Did you know one of the first documented Indonesian families in the US lived in Elizabeth, NJ, before WWII? Award-winning author Brian Kimmel presents a fascinating “local history” edition of his memoir, Blue Skies, Troubled Waters.  Through rare archival documents—including 1940s Newark newspaper clippings and unclassified military maps—Kimmel traces the journey of early migrants from the Dutch East Indies to the Tri-State area. He explores the complex identity of these “First Indonesians,” distinct from the post-war “Indo” wave. The presentation highlights the legacy of the 1920s Indonesian Youth Congresses and Minahasan leaders like Sam Ratulangi (a cousin of the author’s grandmother), who helped forge a national Indonesian identity long before independence. This presentation unveils a hidden chapter of New Jersey history that connects local families to the global stage of WWII and the birth of a nation.

Brian Kimmel is an award-winning author, publisher, and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. A second-generation Indonesian-American, he is the publisher of Together Mapalus Press and the co-author of Blue Skies, Troubled Waters: An American Twin’s WWII Odyssey in Minahasa, Indonesia (2026 Independent Press Award Winner). His work specializes in “Embodying Narratives,” using archival research and oral history to preserve the “unsullied stories” of civilian resilience in the Pacific Theater.