2023 Minoru Yasui Day 

In 2016 Oregon’s legislature designated March 28 Minoru Yasui Day to honor the state’s only Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee’s tireless fight for equality, justice, democracy, and civil rights.

The 2023 Minoru Yasui Day program was held:

Saturday, April 1, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm PST.

Online and in person at the
University of Oregon in Portland
70 NW Couch Street, Portland

See Map

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You can watch 2023 Minoru Yasui Day program above, featuring:

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• The Man: Reflections from Dr. Homer Yasui, Honorary Chair of the Min Yasui Legacy Project and historian extraordinaire.
   

• His Work: Reflections from Dr. Robin Yasui, Minoru Yasui’s niece, on Min’s life work as a Colorado attorney addressing injustice across all populations. In addition to the Asian population for which he is most well-known, he advocated for the rights of women and LGBTQ community, Native and African Americans, Jews, and Latinos.
   

• His Legacy Today Panel: The importance and relevance of Min’s work across generations, from high school to social justice lawyers.
   

• Behind These Bars: Dedication of the jail cell where Min spent nine months in solitary confinement fighting for justice for all Americans. While these bars could not confine Min’s spirit, the arduous journey of the cell from the Multnomah County Courthouse to its permanent resting place at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon in Portland symbolizes Min’s life work and how this spirit of an extraordinary activist was strengthened rather than diminished by confinement. Min’s determination and faith in our Constitution will be illustrated by the reading of a few poems written behind these bars.

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This event was hosted by the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project in collaboration with the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO).