Portland Opera is proud to present the second youth opera in the Our Oregon Series, Shizue: An American Story

Written for students 4th grade and up, but easily enjoyed by all ages.

Shizue Iwatsuki was 19 years old when she cam to Hood River, Oregon as a newlywed with her husband Kamegoro, to make a new life on their orchard. A poet and artist, Shizue was unprepared for life on the farm, but she learned- all the while surprising herself with her resilience. But no one in the Japanese American community was prepared when the United States government issued Executive Order 9066 sending all people of Japanese descent to “relocation centers.” Through it all, Shizue created beauty around her, writing poetry and creating Ikebana (floral arrangements) with any materials she had to hand. Hers is the true story of a quiet hero and her perseverance in the face of tremendous adversity.