Denny & Thelma Yasuhara

As President, of the Japanese American Citizens League (the oldest Civil Rights organization in the United States), Denny Yasuhara was able to have Congress do a study, and enact the 1988 Civil Liberties Act, in which the U.S.government apologized for imprisoning 120,000 Japanese Americans and those with Japanese ancestry into Internment Camps (Concentration Camp) during WWII. President Regan signed the apology and Congress appropriated $20,000.00 for every person imprisoned and displaced during WWII. Denny and Thelma also did much more for the Spokane community. Organizedthe Oriental Food Booth at the Interstate Fair which provided funds for the various activitiesand scholarships for 17 years. Denny lead a group asking Washington State University toestablish an Asian American Study Program with a full professor and support staff.
He sued the Washington State Democratic Party for not including Minorities, and won. He went to SpokaneCity Hall and the School Board, and asked for more minority employment in leadership positions. And yet Denny was not one who want to do any of it, but saw the need and steppedup and made it better for all us. And Thelma was at his side supporting him with not only moral support, but financially. He always felt he needed to give back to the Issei who were always sokind and caring when he was child in the alleys along Main Street…and support he got from somany in the Japanese community. This is only very a short list of his accomplishments and work, Denny did in Spokane and nationally. We are very indebted to Denny and Thelma Yasuhara and hope their work and successes will inspire a new generation to become leaders, help their community and make the world a better place for all of us.