Northwest Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Japanese American Historical Plaza
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 25, 2026
1. Japanese American Historical Plaza Marker
(Japanese American internment camps operated during World War II)
Gila Granada Heart Mountain Jerome Manzanar Minidoka Poston Rohwer Topaz Tule Lake
(Civil Liberties Act of 1988 Plaque)
Statement of the Congress
The Congress recognizes that as described by the Commission on Wartime Relocation Internment of Civilians, a grave injustice was done to both citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry by the evacuation, relocation, and internment of civilians during World War II. As the Commission documents, these actions were carried out without adequate security reasons and without any acts of espionage or sabotage documented by the commission, and were motivated in part by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership. The excluded individuals of Japanese ancestry suffered enormous damages, both material and intangible, and there were incalculable losses in education and job training, all of which resulted in significant human suffering for which appropriate compensation has not been made. For these fundamental violations of the basic civil liberties and constitutional rights of these individuals of Japanese ancestry, the Congress apologizes on behalf of the Nation.
(Apology Letter Plaque)
Japanese-Americans have made invaluable contributions in all areas of our national life, including business, the arts, government, science, space exploration, and education. They have placed themselves in the ranks of Americas extraordinary heroes by faithfully answering the call to defend freedom. In World War II, the brave Nisei of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team made American military history on the beach at Anzio and in difficult campaigns across Italy and France; their courage made them one of the most decorated
this page online
Now is an especially appropriate time for all of us to reflect on how America has benefited from the contributions made by people who have come here from virtually every nation on Earth, and to rededicate ourselves to the Constitutional principles of justice and equality. The sad chapter in our history, when Japanese-Americans living on the West Coast were interned during World War II, teaches an invaluable lesson: that our Constitution is based on a belief in the innate, God-given worth of every individual, and that this worth cannot be denied without diminishing and endangering us all.
Ronald Reagan
Erected 1990 by Oregon Nikkei Endowment.
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Civil Rights • Parks & Recreational Areas • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.
Location.
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 25, 2026
2. Japanese American Historical Plaza: Statement of the Congress
Regionally, this memorial is in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge and in the Willamette Valley. It is also on the American Pacific Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Blagen Block (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Lewis and Clark Botanical Memorial (about 600 feet away); Ladd and Tilton Bank Interior (about 600 feet away); The First Telephone Exchange in Portland (about 700 feet away); Ankeny Arcade (about
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 25, 2026
3. Japanese American Historical Plaza: Statement from the President
Another marker is no longer nearby. New Market Theatre (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . .
1. Japanese-American Historical Plaza & Bill of Rights Memorial at Tom McCall Waterfront Park (Places).
The Japanese-American Historical Plaza & Bill of Rights Memorial tell the story of the Japanese-Americans who lived on the West Coast and in Portland in particular. Before World War II, there were two groups of Japanese-Americans. The Issei were the pioneers who left Japan to settle in America, coming to Oregon, Washington and California between 1880 and 1924. Their children, born between 1910 and 1930 and the first generation to grow up in America, were called Nisei. In Portland, Japanese-Americans lived in a neighborhood a few blocks from the current memorial called Nihonmachi, or "Japan Town."(Submitted on August 24, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.)
2. Japanese
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 25, 2026
4. Japanese American Historical Plaza: The Bill of Rights Memorial
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 25, 2026
5. Japanese American Historical Plaza
The waterfront plaza contains several plaques acknowledging the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, as well as a series of poems inscribed into stone around the plaza. The gateway features an artwork called Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience by Jim Gion.
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 25, 2026
6. Japanese American Historical Plaza Marker
Two plaques acknowledging the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 are installed on the north end of the plaza. The Bill of Rights Memorial is on the south end, and the list of ten concentration camps is found at the park's entrance.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 24, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
