In this episode, we talk with Maija Yasui who was born and raised in Hood River, Oregon. Maija’s family came to the community as part of the wave of Finnish immigrants who settled in the years between 1900 and 1915. She later married into a Japanese family who had also immigrated to the Valley. 

Maija has been a long-time community activist working to preserve and honor the local history of Japanese Americans, including the atrocity of their imprisonment during World War II. Here, she shares her family's intertwining stories of these immigrant communities.

To learn more about the history of Japanese Americans in Oregon please visit the following resources:

The History Museum of Hood River County at: https://www.hoodriverhistorymuseum.org/ 

The Japanese American Museum of Oregon at: https://jamo.org/ 

Densho: https://densho.org/

Nisei Soldiers Break Their Silence by Linda Tamura: https://uwapress.uw.edu/search-results/?contributor=linda-tamura

The Hood River Issei: An Oral History of Japanese Settlers in Oregon's Hood River Valley by Linda Tamura: https://www.amazon.com/Hood-River-Issei-Japanese-Experience/dp/0252063597

Family Gathering directed by Lise Yasui: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3294916/

Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice co-directed by Holly Yasui: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6332918/