Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Oregon PSR Advisory Board members Chisao Hata and Yukiyo Kawano have co-created the We Hold Sacred exhibit at the Japanese American Museum of Oregon Annex, formerly known as the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, in Portland's historic Old Town. This neighborhood was once known as Nihonmachi, or Japantown, before its erasure resulting from Executive Order 9066, which established the American concentration camps that held over 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry and Japanese-American citizens between 1942 and 1946.

At this historically significant location, and in commemoration of the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, We Hold Sacred explores the history of anti-nuclear activism through art and memory and by uplifting the historic nuclear justice movements led by people of color. This exhibit asks us "to renew our commitment to Mother Earth, ecological unity, and the interdependence of all species" in accordance with the 1st Principle of the Preamble of the 1991 People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit).

We Hold Sacred opens on Friday, August 6th at 6:30 PM, immediately following our 6:00 PM memorial ceremony at the nearby Japanese American Historical Plaza, and remains open until 8 PM. The exhibit will also be open for visitors on Saturday, August 7th and Sunday, August 8th from noon until 3:00 PM.

We invite those who are fully vaccinated to join us in person on the evening of August 6th, but space is limited, so please RSVP today. If you are unable to join us for the exhibit opening following our memorial ceremony, please visit on August 7th or 8th between noon and 3:00 PM.