This image shows Toru Sakahara (1916-2008), a leader in Seattle’s Japanese American community. During World War II, Sakahara was incarcerated at the Puyallup Assembly Center and the Minidoka concentration camp. He was one of the first Japanese American students to attend the UW School of Law. He used his legal skills to aid Japanese Americans in reclaiming property after their incarceration and in 1966 he led a successful campaign to repeal a law prohibiting immigrants of Asian ancestry from owning land in Washington. Sakahara was president of the Seattle branch of the Japanese American Citizens League, Seattle Japanese Community Service, Jackson Street Community, and the Seattle Citizens Housing Board. In recognition of his many years of service to the Japanese American community, Sakahara was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class by the Emperor of Japan.

Caption information source: “Toru Sakahara, 1916-2008: 'Reluctant leader' didn't shy away from the tough fights,” by Casey McNerthney, Seattle Post-Intelligencer April 30, 2008, retrieved from https://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Toru-Sakahara-1916-2008-Reluctant-leader-1272080.php.
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.