Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice

The US has never been very welcoming to people who are “different.” Muslims, Syrian refugees, Mexican immigrants, African Americans have often faced hostility, particularly when people feel threatened by war or by economic insecurity or physical danger. Fear can provide fertile soil for demagogues.

This gave rise to one of the shameful moments in US history when Japanese Americans were removed from their homes on the West Coast and imprisoned in concentration camps during World War II. Racism reared its ugly head, and the government grossly violated the rights of citizens who were in fact loyal to this country. The first to resist as unconstitutional the wartime relocation and internment of those of Japanese ancestry was a young lawyer named Minoru Yasui. Now his story is being documented by his daughter in the film Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice.

Filmmaker Holly Yasui is a long time resident of San Miguel. She is a familiar figure here, a strong advocate for intercultural understanding and solidarity. Following in her father’s footsteps, her film is more than a tribute to his memory, it is a plea to learn from the mistakes of our history and to not make them again against an Other out of our own fears.

Although Minoru Yasui lost his legal test case against the WWII military order in the Supreme Court, he never gave up the struggle for justice. History has vindicated his cause. On November 24, 2015 President Obama awarded him the Medal of Freedom.

This will be a premier preview of part 1 of Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice. Holly Yasui will present her film and speak about its relevance to us today. This fundraiser will help make it possible to complete the film and give it wide distribution.