Monday, April 15, 2019

Minoru Yasui

(Courtesy Holly Yasui)

Holly Yasui and Peggy Nagae, co-founders of the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project and so much more, were in Idaho in late March for a special presentation sponsored by the Boise Valley Japanese American Citizens League and Wassmuth Center for Human Rights. The pair had been in Portland on March 28 for Minoru Yasui Day, an annual event designated by the Oregon State Legislature in 2016.

On March 28, 1942, "Min" as he was known, was arrested for violating curfew by walking the streets of Portland after 8 p.m. Min's action was intentional; he wanted to challenge the constitutionality of the imposed military curfew for Japanese Americans.

Holly shared this information via e-mail before the Boise event. "My dad was in Minidoka [War Relocation Center] September to November 1942 and August 1942 to June 1944. In-between those times he was in the Multnomah County Jail! Regrettably, I did not have this information to include in my book.

Holly traveled to Portland and Boise from Mexico, where she currently resides. In Boise she presented her documentary film, Never Give Up! Minor Yasui and the Fight for Justice. Her late father was the first Japanese American member of the Oregon State Bar.

Peggy was the lead attorney for the elder Yasui's reopened U.S. Supreme Court case.

The dinner and film screening at  Zion Bank in downtown Boise was a sellout.

Holly's film is available for purchase in three different categories: nonprofit ($75), K-12 (entire school,  $125), and higher education (all departments, $200). To order, email info@oregonnikkei.org.

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