Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice tells the story of Minoru (Min) Yasui, son of Japanese immigrant parents, born in 1916, and raised in the farming community of Hood River, Oregon. He was the first Japanese American attorney in Oregon, and during World War II, he initiated the first legal test challenging the forced removal from the West Coast and subsequent incarceration of over 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry in US concentration camps.

The film documents his and his family’s experiences during the war and his nine months in solitary confinement awaiting his appeal to the US Supreme Court. It also depicts Yasui’s postwar life, including his ongoing defense of the human and civil rights of all people; his leadership role in the Japanese American redress movement; the reopening of his legal case; and the posthumous award of a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

The director, Min Yasui’s youngest daughter Holly, will be on hand for a post-film discussion.

This program is free for Museum members and included with general admission for non-members. Please purchase admission at the front desk at the main building prior to the event. RSVPs are strongly encouraged using this online form as reserved guests will be given priority entry.