NEWS & EVENTS
July 18, 2026 | Eugene, OR | Asian Celebration
Alton Baker Park
Today was the annual celebration of all things Asian held in Alton Baker Park here in Eugene–I initially participated in the celebration two years ago on July 27, 2024, the summer following the publication in August 2023 of the book, Two Faces, I co-authored with my dear friend Nina Wolpe.
Two Faces was the joint story telling about the lives of two ten-year-old’s, one a white girl, the other a Japanese American boy about their friendship during World War II. Based on true-to-life experiences, the two tell of their experiences during the war and what happened to them and their two families.
Being a story about the forced evacuation of a Japanese American family into a concentration camp in Colorado, the faire was a natural setting for a book sale and signing on a warm lazy day in Eugene. Two years later it continues to be a timely tale about one of the worst Civil Rights violations in American history, a story desperately needed given today’s national scene.
Today was a balmy summer day and the crowds started early–the numbers seemed less than two years ago, though like then it felt steady. I had a booth in the northwest corner of the park layout next to Ben, a friendly salesman for a specially oxygenated health water–we all received free samples. A special added plus for the day was I invited my eldest granddaughter Venice, a recent OSU Cascade Bend campus graduate to join me in my booth to share about and sell her creative jewelry and decal artwork.
I spent the day sharing my family’s experiences at the concentration camp with some seniors who were old enough to be alive at the time and had memories they recall of the events, and a host of younger folks some whom knew nothing about the evacuation and internment, to others who had learned some about what my family experienced and were apologetic about what happened to us.
Between my time on the day sharing my family story, along with time with my granddaughter and the support of our families it was a fun and most successful educational day.