Bust of Minoru Yasui, (sculpture).

Bust of Minoru Yasui, (sculpture).

Kaneko, Tsuyaka, sculptor.

Bust of Minoru Yasui, (sculpture).

1990. Copyrighted 1990. Dedicated Aug. 11, 1990.

Bust: bronze; Base: granite.

Bust: approx. 32 x 29 x 15 in.; Base: approx. 54 x 54 x 31 3/4 in.

(On back of bust, left side:) TSUYAKA KANEKO (On front of base, incised:) "WE ARE ALL PUT ON THIS EARTH TO LEAVE IT A BETTER PLACE/FOR OUR HAVING BEEN HERE..."/MINORU YASUI/AS AMERICAN OF UNCOMMON COURAGE AND PRINCIPLE/BORN IN HOOD RIVER, OREGON, OCTOBER 19, 1916/DIED, DENVER, COLORADO, NOVEMBER 12, 1986/SO FERVENTLY DID MINORU YASUI BELIEVE IN THE RIGHTS/GUARANTEED BY THE CONSTITUTION THAT DURING WORLD/WAR II, HE ENDURED NINE MONTHS OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT/TO TEST THE GOVERNMENTS AUTHORITY TO DISCRIMINATE/AGAINST AMERICANS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY ON THE BASIS/OF RACE. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT RULED AGAINST HIM, BUT/YASUI ULTIMATELY WAS VINDICATED WHEN THE 100TH/CONGRESS AND PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN APOLOGIZED TO/JAPANESE AMERICANS FOR THE INJUSTICE OF SUSPENDED/FREEDOMS AS DIRECTOR OF DENVER'S COMMISSION ON/COMMUNITY RELATIONS. YASUI DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO/ADVANCING THE RIGHTS OF HIS FELLOW MAN REGARDLESS/OF COLOR OR CREED. THIS MONUMENT IS DEDICATED TO/THE MEMORY OF AN UNCOMMON AMERICAN WHO SERVED/HIS NATION WITH EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT TO ITS/HIGHEST PRINCIPLES./AUGUST 11, 1990 (Front inscription is translated into Japanese on the back of the base.) signed

Bust of an elderly Minoru Yasui dressed in a suit jacket, shirt, and tie. He wears glasses and has a moustache. The bust rests on a square base which has two steps at the bottom.

Portrait male -- Yasui, Minoru -- Bust

Portrait male -- Yasui, Minoru -- Elderly

Ethnic -- Asian American

Dress -- Accessory -- Eye wear

Occupation -- Political

Outdoor Sculpture -- Colorado -- Denver

Sakura Square Merchants Association, 1255 19th Street, Denver, Colorado 80203

Minoru Yasui (1916-1986), an American of Japanese ancestry, was in solitary confinement for nine months during World War II. Later he became the director of Denver's Commission on Community Relations and dedicated his life to advancing the rights of his fellow man regardless of color and creed. For related articles see: Rocky Mountain News (Colorado), Aug. 5, 1990, pg. 30 and Aug. 12, 1990, pg. 6.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, Colorado, Denver survey, 1993.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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