Minoru Yamasaki, a Japanese American architect, is renowned for his design of the original World Trade Center in New York City and several other large-scale projects. He is regarded as one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century. Yamasaki was born in Seattle, Washington, to Issei Japanese immigrants, and the family later relocated to Auburn, Washington. He graduated from Garfield Senior High School in Seattle. He then enrolled in the University of Washington’s architecture program in 1929, which he completed with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1934. In 1934, he relocated to Manhattan, enrolled at New York University to pursue a master’s degree in architecture, and secured employment with the architecture firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, the designers of the Empire State Building. This firm played a crucial role in assisting Yamasaki in evading internment as a Japanese American during World War II, and he himself provided refuge for his parents in New York City. Yamasaki’s political engagement was evident during his formative years, particularly in the context of efforts to relocate Japanese Americans affected by the internment program in the United States during World War II. He was chairman of the Resettlement Council of Japanese American organizations in New York City and a representative of the Art Council of Japanese Americans for Democracy.

Resource: Densho https://encyclopedia.densho.org/Minoru_Yamasaki/

Image: Minoru Yamasaki speaking at a dinner at the Miyako Restaurant in honor of Harold Fistere, Relocation Supervisor for the Middle Atlantic Area. Those attending included representatives from the following organizations: Committee on Resettlement of Japanese Americans of the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, Japanese American Resettlement Committee of the Brooklyn Council for Social Planning, Arts Council of Japanese Americans for Democracy, Japanese American Committee for Democracy, New York Japanese American Hostel, Resettlement Council of Japanese American organizations in N.Y.C., Japanese American church, Young People’s Society of the Japanese Methodist Church, Japanese Christian Association, New York Church Committee for Japanese Americans, Japanese Buddhist Church, Young People’s Circle of the Japanese Christian Institute, Japanese American Young People’s Christian Federation, Junior Japanese Christian Association Brooklyn Church and Mission Federation, New York, New York.