Meet Our Team
Holly Yasui
CO-FOUNDER
Holly was the youngest daughter of Minoru and True Yasui. She co-directed the documentary film Never Give Up! Minoru Yasui and the Fight for Justice (2017), and authored the theatrical play and reader’s theater piece Citizen Min. Holly’s tireless advocacy for civil rights and unwavering dedication to preserve her father's legacy continue to inspire and ignite positive change in our world.
1953 - 2021
Peggy Nagae
CO-FOUNDER
Peggy was lead attorney for Minoru Yasui in reopening his WWII case, and also led the successful campaign to win a Presidential Medal of Freedom for Minoru Yasui in 2015.
Homer Yasui
Honory Co-Chair
Homer was the youngest brother of Minoru Yasui. In addition to working as a surgeon, he was active in the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), the Japanese American Redress movement, and chaired the national committee in support of Min's corum nobis petition.
1924 - 2023
Yuka Yasui Fujikara
Honory Co-Chair
Yuka was the youngest sibling of Minoru Yasui. She was a Fulbright Scholar with masters degrees in public health nursing and public health, and was a recipient of the Planned Parenthood's Margaret Sanger award for her work with underprivileged young girls.
1927 - 2021
Executive Committee
Lynn Fuchigami Parks
Chair
Lynn, Executive Director Emeritus of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO), serves on and consults with many nonprofits, preserving Japanese American history, and is committed to empowering future leaders for social equality.
Chani Hawkins
Vice-Chair
Chani Hawkins, granddaughter of Minoru Yasui, is dedicated to advancing education and community through her volunteer work. She is committed to preserving her grandfather’s legacy of justice while advocating for her community and advancing equity through local involvement.
Janet Hamada
Treasurer
Finance Committee
Janet Hamada is the Executive Director of The Next Door, Inc. a social service organization that serves children and families throughout the Mid-Columbia Gorge. A proud Yonsei, Janet believes that everyone deserves basic human rights, and she has fought for social justice in a variety of causes since she was a teenager.
Ashley Baca
Secretary
Marketing & Communications
Coming Soon
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Maija Yasui
Yasui Family Liaison
Finance Committee
Married to Philip Yasui (Min’s nephew), Maija and their children carry on the Yasui legacy and family orchards in Hood River. As a Japanese American historian and community advocate serving on a variety of boards spanning over 40 years, she specializes in the Yasui family history, community presentations, and collaborative projects for books, films, and exhibits.
Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong
JAMO Executive Director & JAMO Liason
Finance Committee
Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong is the executive director of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon in Portland, professionally trained as a public historian, political scientist, and museologist. For 17 years, Hanako worked for state and federal agencies at the Idaho State Historical Society, the US Navy, the National Park Service, and the White House Office of the Chief of Staff; holding roles as Interpretive Specialist, Education Specialist, Chief of Interpretation and Education, Superintendent, and Policy Advisor throughout her government career. In 2021, Hanako received the Esto Perpetua Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Idaho State Historical Society for her work in preservation of Japanese American incarceration history in Idaho. She holds a BA in History and BS in Political Science from Boise State University, as well as an MA in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University, where she serves as an adjunct faculty member for their Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Museum Studies and Cultural Heritage Management Programs.
Steering Committee
Barbara Yasui
Education Committee Lead
Barbara is the niece of Minoru Yasui. She is a former educator, racial equity trainer, community organizer, and consultant, who lives in Seattle.
Emily Thackray
Chair, Student Art Contest Committee
Emily is an arts educator who has taught in public schools (k-12) for over a decade. She is a strong believer in the power of art and in education in advancing civil rights. She works on the Student Art Contest Planning and Education Committees with the focus to make the Minoru Yasui Student Contest materials accessible for classroom use.
Roy Catalani
University of Oregon Law School
Minoru Yasui Fellowship Liason
Roy Catalani is an Assistant Clinical Professor and the Director of the Nonprofit Clinic at the University of Oregon School of Law. Prior to joining the University of Oregon faculty in 2023, Roy practiced law for 15 years in Hawai’i, with an emphasis in business transactions, regulatory matters, and immigration. He subsequently served for 12 years as an executive with a Hawai’i public utility, three years as gubernatorial appointee in planning and transportation, and three years as a private consultant to nonprofit and for-profit organizations. His career includes thirty years of service as a member of nonprofit boards. Roy graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law and the University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences. He began his legal career as the law clerk to Chief Justice Edwin Peterson of the Oregon Supreme Court.
Bill Waterman
University of Oregon Law School​
Minoru Yasui Fellowship Liason
Bill, a California Bar member for over 30 years, is experienced in personal injury, insurance defense, and civil trial practice, including Senior Staff Trial Attorney for Travelers Insurance. He's a dedicated Mediator and part-time Professor of Law at John F. Kennedy School of Law at National University.
Eric Ballinger
Eastern Oregon Liaison
Steering Committee
Eric Ballinger has been a physical therapist at St. Charles Medical Center since 1996 and received his Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Pacific University. He specializes in neurological rehabilitation, helping individuals with spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions reintegrate into daily life and their communities. Eric serves on the board of the Japanese American Society of Central Oregon (JASCO) and is a member of the Japanese American Citizens League. He co-authored Senate Bill 1509, which passed in 2022 designating Highway 35 in Hood River as the Oregon Nisei Veterans WWII Memorial Highway. A historical marker for the project was approved in 2023 and dedicated and installed in 2025 to honor the legacy of Nisei veterans. A Yonsei Oregonian, Eric is committed to preserving Japanese American history, shaped by his family’s incarceration during World War II at Minidoka and Tule Lake and by his grandfather’s service in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and later the Military Intelligence Service (MIS).
Student Art Contest Committee
Emily Thackray
Chair
Emily is an arts educator who has taught in public schools (k-12) for over a decade. She is a strong believer in the power of art and in education in advancing civil rights. She works on the Student Art Contest Planning and Education Committees with the focus to make the Minoru Yasui Student Contest materials accessible for classroom use.
Elissa Dingus
Vice-Chair
Elissa is the Director of Education and Engagement at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO) where she facilitates educational programming at the museum to connect student groups, educators, and the general public with Japanese American history.
Logan Pinard
Logan is a middle school student who was living in Kapolei, Hawaii when he entered the 2021 Minoru Yasui Student Contest. Logan was a finalist in the Junior Division and has since joined the committee to help run the student contest. He now lives in Victoria, BC in Canada.
Erin Ozawa
Coming Soon
Student Art Contest Education Committee
Marisa Hirata​
Coming Soon
Dora Lisa Chavez
Dora Lisa Chavez (she/ella) a proud Latina born and raised in Oregon. She currently works as the Museum Educator at the Oregon Historical Society and is responsible for the K–12 and college/university school tours program. Before joining OHS, Dora Lisa was a classroom educator for 10 years. She has worked with students in preschool through third grade, providing bilingual Spanish-English wrap around services for students and their caregivers through culturally responsive programming in East County in Multnomah County. Dora Lisa holds a B.A. in art history from Portland State University. In her spare time, Dora Lisa can be found at a coffee shop, record store, bookstore, or at the beach with her family and two dogs Sainty and Saucy.
Sarah Segal
Coming Soon