The annual TIUA Flea Market took place on Saturday, December 10,  at the Sparks Center on the Willamette University campus.  Students have nearly completed the American Studies Program at TIUA and Willamette and will be returning home to Japan, either right away or after some traveling.  They will resume their studies at Tokyo International University in Kawagoe in April, 2012.

They accumulated many items during their eleven months in Salem and didn't wish to take everything back to Japan, so the flea market was created to help them get rid of some of it.  What didn't sell by the end of the market, will mostly be donated to local charities.

To see a photo gallery from the event, click here.

Hibakusha is the name given to those affected by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, and to their children and grandchildren who still suffer the effects of genetic damage. Global Hibakusha -- people, world-wide, who have been affected by exposure to radiation from a variety of sources -- was the theme of a TIUA class sponsored poster exhibit and laptop PowerPoint presentations held on November 29 in the Kaneko Lobby. The exhibit was sponsored by TIUA Advanced English: Sharing Lessons from Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Some of the exhibit topics were:  How and Why People Become Exposed to Radiation; What Places in the World are Most Affected; The Short and Long-term Effects of Radiation on Humans; and Considerations in the Use of Nuclear Materials.

To see a photo gallery from the event, click here.

Willamette University’s CAUSA Chapter membership has been working on the “Border FenceProject” which is a visual representation of the U.S./Mexico Border Fence. This fence was used to display artwork, poetry, and music at an evening Open Microphone event. It was a creative way of providing the community with information on the daily struggles and oppressions of immigrants and their families, as well as the pain of friends and relatives who are also affected by immigration system.  The project is designed to bring with it a space for reflection and expression in order for individuals to heal and for all to unite on our humanity.

Several American Studies Program (ASP) students were involved with this group and this project.  To see photos from the two events, click here.

CAUSA is Oregon's statewide, grassroots immigrant rights coalition and the largest Hispanic civil and human rights, and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest.  They work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies. To learn more about CAUSA, click here.