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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.

 

Saturday, April 6, 2024

1:00pm-3:00pm PDT

University of Oregon, White Stag Building

70 NW Couch Street, Portland, OR 97209


SEE MAP

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM

** Please note, this version of the livestream is edited. Due to entry requirements at film festivals, the Matsutake film by Producer Mari Hayman and Director Theodore Caleb had to be removed. We hope to provide an updated stream to include the film after it is done with its film festival tour.

WELCOME & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sharon Maeda, Emcee

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Rep. Khanh Pham

PANEL DISCUSSION

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Panelists to discuss their activism in Advancing Democracy in the Face of Current Threats and provide a call to action.

Moderator: Sharon Maeda, Emcee
Panel: Rebecca Asaki, Tsuru for Solidarity; Amy Herzfeld-Copple, Executive Director of Western States Center; Paul Susi, Project Facilitator for Oregon Humanities

TRIBUTE TO HOMER YASUI & MATSUTAKE FILM

Mari Hayman, granddaughter of Homer Yasui, shares tribute to Homer & award winning film by Producer Mari Hayman and Director Theodore Caleb Haas.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 2024 STUDENT CONTEST WINNERS

Jillian Toda-Currie, Chair of the Student Contest Committee

COLLECTIVE CALL TO ACTION & CLOSING

Barbara Yasui, Minoru Yasui Legacy Project Education Advisor and Sharon Maeda, Emcee

RECEPTION

Join us at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon for a reception following the event.

MEET OUR SPEAKERS

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Keynote Speaker

Rep. Kahn Pham

Khanh Pham, serving her second term as State Rep. for OR HD 46, made history as the first Vietnamese American legislator and currently serves on key committees, including House Climate, Energy, and Environment. In the 2023 session, she secured significant funding for climate resilience and pushed for ranked-choice voting. As a working mom and community organizer, Khan advocates for clean energy initiatives, housing rights, immigrant support, and economic and social justice.

Image courtesy of khanhphamfororegon.com

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Master of Ceromonies & Panel Moderator

Sharon Maeda

Sharon Maeda grew up knowing that “Uncle Min” was doing very important work. As a student, then community activist in the 1960s and 70s, she began to understand the context of his courageous fight for justice and constitutional rights. In her work as a teacher and media manager in radio, television and print media, her focus was always amplifying diverse voices for a more just society.

Image courtesy washington.edu.

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Panelist

Rebecca Asaki

As Director of Organizing, Rebecca Asaki leads Tsuru for Solidarity’s immigration detention organizing and direct action work supporting Child & Family Detention, and Pol(ICE), Prisons & Detention campaigns. Rebecca has fifteen years of organizing experience empowering tenants, workers, immigrants, and AAPI community members, focusing on issues such as fair compensation, housing, legal representation, reproductive healthcare, and language rights. Based in Brooklyn, New York, and a Yonsei whose descendants were incarcerated during WWII, Rebecca actively participates in initiatives like the New York Day of Remembrance Committee.

Image courtesy of linkedin.com

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Panelist

Paul Susi

Paul Susi is a multifaceted artist and social worker, from being a Peer Resource Navigator for Portland Street Medicine, connecting people living outside with medical help, to leading Conversation Projects for Oregon Humanities. He also runs a mutual aid project assisting with lost IDs and birth certificates. Not stopping there, Paul is bringing an adaptation of the Iliad to prisons in Oregon and the East Coast, while writing a book on immigrant identities and lost graves, set to be published this fall.

Image courtesy of paulsusi.wordpress.com

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Panelist

Amy Herzfeld-Copple

As a respected leader driving inclusive democracy organizations and campaigns in the Pacific Northwest, Amy Herzfeld-Copple is the Executive Director of the Western States Center (WSC). She began her career advocating for LGTBQ+ rights at the age of 14 in Idaho. Amy is known for her commitment to an inclusive democracy, policy advocacy, labor organizing, award-winning journalism, and served as the Executive Director of the then Idaho Human Rights Education Center and Co-Executive Director for Basic Rights Oregon.

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HOSTED BY

The Minoru Yasui Legacy Project in collaboration and the Japanese American Museum of Oregon with special thanks to the University of Oregon for their generous support in providing the venue for our event.

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