In 1941, Chester Nakayama finds himself caught between his insular Japanese American neighborhood on Terminal Island, California, and his current life as an all-American guy. When extreme circumstances push both his community and personal life to the brink, Chester must grapple with what kind of a man he wants to be, all while someone watches closely.

After Pearl Harbor, the Terminal Islanders are evicted from their homes and must find shelter elsewhere. While Henry, separated from his family, faces injustice at the hands of the government, Chester engages in a paranoid search for answers.

As the Terminal Islanders adjust to their new surroundings, Chester tries to provide for his family, while fending off the evil that follows him. Henry reels from the trauma of his imprisonment. Asako sees bad omens. Amy takes up a new job.