Members of the Yasui family were among the millions of immigrants who came to the United States seeking new opportunities during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like many Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrants), they experienced racism and oppression; state and federal laws prevented Japanese immigrants from owning land, and anti-Japanese organizations sought to strip Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) of their birthright citizenship. Yet Nikkei (Japanese immigrants and their descendants) like the Yasui family persisted in establishing roots in Oregon, starting families and businesses, and shaping the social and economic fabric of the communities where they lived.
Following December 7, 1941, when the Empire of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor during World War II, the U.S. government forcibly removed over 110,000 Nikkei — including U.S. citizens — from their homes and sent them to concentration camps, often in harsh, remote areas. After the war, many members of the Yasui family returned to Oregon, although some incarcerees chose not to return home due to persistent racism in their communities.
While the Yasui family endured racism and incarceration, they also shared a commitment to equal justice through engagement with the local, state, and national forces that determined — and withheld — their civil rights. Through photographs, personal journals, documents, and objects, this exhibition explores how one Japanese American family’s story reflects the complexity of the American story.