There will be three free screenings of the film “Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice” in Seattle and Vashon Island in the month of October:
Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6:00 PM: Vashon Theater, 17723 Vashon Highway SW, Vashon Island
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 11:00 AM: Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington, 1414 S. Weller St., Seattle
Thursday, Oct. 11, 6:00 PM: Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church, 3001 24th Ave. S., Seattle
The film tells the story of Minoru Yasui, son of Japanese immigrant parents, born in 1916 and raised in the farming community of Hood River, OR. He was the first Japanese American attorney in Oregon, and during WWII, 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 U.S. incarceration 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 U.S. 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 of the film, Minoru Yasui’s youngest daughter, Holly, will be on hand for a post-film discussion. Screenings are free. Donations are welcome. Form more information, contact Karen Yoshitomi at 206-568-7114 or [email protected].