Ep #1 Almost Home

Hear in the Gorge

JAPANESE HISTORY IN THE HOOD RIVER VALLEY In 2015, Min Yasui was the first Oregonian to ever receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom - our nation's highest civilian honor. Min was first generation Japanese American, born right here in Hood River. His father, Masuo, had immigrated from Japan and become a respected leader in the small community. But this is far from a simple success story. It includes FBI spying, unexpected death, the largest mass incarceration in U.S. history, and a small town in Oregon struggling with newfound notoriety. This is an immigrant story turned national narrative, one still relevant more than a century later. music: Blue Dot Sessions, Kai Engel, and Poddington Bear. archival audio from: Minoru Yasui, Oct. 23, 1983, Steven Okazaki Collection, DDR_densho_1012_3_13, Densho

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada