Minoru (Min) Yasui was a courageous and tireless leader in the cause of justice and human rights for all people. He challenged unconstitutional internment policies against Japanese Americans during World War 2, and he spent the remainder of his life advocating for, and mentoring, underrepresented peoples.

"Never Give Up" tells the story of 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 U.S. 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 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.

Tragically, history is repeating itself, as the Trump administration further oppresses immigrant families and seeks to set up internment facilities. https://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2018/06/21/proposed-child-holding-site-in-arkansas-5-miles-from-wwii-japanese-american-internment-camp

Watch the trailer here.

The film's director, Min Yasui’s youngest daughter, Holly, will lead a post-film discussion.

For more info about this award-winning film, see the film's webpage.

This event is made possible thanks to generous support from Vashon Green Tech and Vashon Theatre. Co-sponsors include Vashon Heritage Museum and the Mukai Farm and Garden. The screening is a Backbone Meaningful Movies event, a collaboration between the Meaningful Movies Project and the Backbone Campaign.

Admission is by donation, with no one turned away for lack of funds.