Oregon Nikkei Endowment

Formerly Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center

411 NW Flanders St.
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 224-1458

Museum hours:
May 14-June 13: Friends of the Japanese American Museum of Oregon only

Fridays-Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
BY RESERVATION ONLY
Call 503-224-1458 for reservations

Starting June 18: Open to the general public by reservation only

Adult $8, Senior $6, Student $5, Children 11 & under Free

Education

Tours and School Programs

*Due to the museum's impending move, we are unable to accept tour requests for dates later than March 8, 2020.*

Tours at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon are designed to tell the story of people of Japanese descent (Nikkei) in Oregon before, during, and after World War II. Tour themes and activities are designed to connect with curriculum and Common Core Standards in the areas of Language Arts, Social Science and American History. Inquiry-based tours at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center are thematic and are lead by our trained volunteer docents. Scheduling details are below.

Tour and Speaker Request Form

In addition to self-guided tours (please confirm availability in advance), the following options are available for docent-guided tours:

Oregon Nikkei: Reflections of an American Community (permanent exhibition)
Our standard tour is designed to tell the story of people of Japanese descent (Nikkei) in Oregon and their struggles before, during, and after World War II. This exhibition gives students the opportunity to learn about a specific time in history, while also exploring universal ideas such as community, identity, immigration and civil rights.

Identity (Recommended for grades 3-5)
Students will discuss the concept of identity in relation to the story of the Oregon Nikkei. They will draw on their own understanding of "identity" to explore these questions: What identifies you and makes you who you are? What can change or shape your identity? Is identity something we take with us no matter where we go? How do you think the Japanese American's identity might have changed after living in the internment camps?

Civil Rights (Recommended for grades 7-12)
Students will explore the concept of civil rights in relation to the story of the Oregon Nikkei. They will discuss the Bill of Rights and what they mean for all Americans. Students will uncover the stories of Nikkei who were stripped of their civil rights, as well as the role of the government during a difficult time in American history.

Japanese American Historical Plaza
The Plaza is an internationally recognized, award-winning public park located at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. Located two blocks from the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, the Plaza is a memorial to the 120,000 men, woman and children held against their will in internment camps during WWII. A guided tour of the Plaza will help students interpret historical events and provide an opportunity to reflect on the past.

Japanese American Museum of Oregon in the Classroom

Museum in a Suitcase Program - developed by the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (formerly Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center), with assistance from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

nihonmachi Let us bring the Japanese American Museum of Oregon to your classroom! Our docents will come to your classroom and share the Nikkei experience in Oregon with your students through the use of primary resources, such as visual images and artifacts. A teacher guide with resources and lesson plans aligned to Common Core Standards is also included.

The primary resources included in the suitcase cover the following topics:

Early Japanese Immigration to Oregon
Creating Communities – Life in Nihonmachi (Portland's Japantown)
Incarceration Story – World War II, Executive Order 9066, civil rights, Evacuation Process, Portland Assembly Center, Transfer to WRA Camps, Life in Camp, U.S. Military, End of the War, Resettlement Process, and Redress

Speakers Bureau

Japanese American Museum of Oregon speakers are available for classroom visits, school assemblies, civic organizations, and other groups. Each speaker is well versed to talk about the Nikkei experience during World War II as well as the broader topics of civil rights, citizenship and the Constitution.

Please visit our Resources & Services page for links to other educational resources about the Nikkei experience.

Digital Citizenship and Japanese American History Curriculum

Digital Citizenship and Japanese American History is a seven-lesson curriculum that addresses critical questions about rights and responsibilities of citizenship, especially related to media. The experiences of Japanese Americans during World War II provide a relevant context for this study. The curriculum includes lessons aligned to Common Core Standards and primary source material to support those lessons. This curriculum was funded by a grant from the Collins Foundation with support from the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (formerly Oregon Nikkei Endowment).

Minoru Yasui: From Roots to Results Curriculum

Minoru Yasui: From Roots to Results is a five-lesson curriculum that introduces students to experiences of Japanese Americans in Oregon during World War II and to the work of Minoru Yasui, the Oregon attorney who challenged the curfew placed on that community in 1942.

The curriculum includes lessons aligned to Common Core Standards and primary source material to support those lessons. The curriculum was funded by the Multnomah Bar Foundation with support from the Japanese American Museum of Oregon (formerly Oregon Nikkei Endowment) and the Minoru Yasui Tribute Project. Contact Japanese American Museum of Oregon if you are interested in receiving a copy of this curriculum.

Phone: 503-224-1458

Minoru Yasui Student Contest 2020

Righting a Wrong! Min Yasui and Redress!

Contest Prompt: Reflecting on Minoru Yasui's legacy during the Japanese American redress and reparations movement, create an action plan for a civil rights violation that the United States should redress today (to apologize for, to set right).

Contest Website: sites.google.com/view/minyasuicontest2020/home

Exhibit Proposal due: March 15, 2020
Make Your Own Exhibit due: March 28, 2020

Minoru "Min" Yasui saw people treated unjustly in 1942 and took action. On March 28th, Oregonians commemorate Min's legacy of justice that began with his challenge of the curfew placed on Japanese Americans during World War II. From 1976 to 1984, Min Yasui served as the chair of the Japanese American Citizens League’s National Committee for Redress which fought for an apology from the United States government for the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. However, Min passed away before the passing of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Though he did not live to see the government's apology, Min's legacy inspires us to take action today.

Make your own exhibit! Create a Tri-Fold Poster, a photo exhibit, or a short film to capture your redress action plan. Your exhibit should relate an event, action, or violation that occurred in the history or recent past of the United States. View the pdf flyer here.

$100.00 to $200.00 Award prizes. Open to middle and high school students in Oregon and SW Washington.

Phone: 503-224-1458

Pricing & Scheduling

MUSEUM AND PLAZA TOURS: $3.50 per student, $5.00 per adult (with three complimentary adult admissions per school group).

SPEAKERS BUREAU AND MUSEUM IN A SUITCASE: $55 per class/talk.

To schedule your group for one of our programs, please fill out the Request Form and mail, fax, or e-mail it to the Japanese American Museum of Oregon office. Contact us (2-4 weeks in advance requested) with questions or to discuss your options:

Japanese American Museum of Oregon
121 NW 2nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97209

Phone: 503-224-1458
Fax: 503-224-1459

Tour and Speaker Request Form

Museum in a Suitcase

Speakers Bureau

Pricing & Scheduling

Request Form

Minoru Yasui Programs

Digital Citizenship and Japanese American History

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E-News Signup

Current Exhibits

OREGON’S NIKKEI: AN AMERICAN STORY OF RESILIENCE

with:

Grace, Grit and Gaman: Japanese American Women through the Generations

Grace Grit and Gaman

Connect and Share:

Japanese American Historical Plaza

Japanese American Museum of Oregon

Photos on Flickr

Nihonmachi Collections
The Japanese American Museum of Oregon has a wealth of resources documenting Nikkei history and culture, housing original manuscripts, government documents and publications, as well as historical and contemporary artifacts and photographs.

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What is Nikkei?

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For information on administrative hours,
please call us at 503-224-1458.