Minoru yasui biography of michael

American lawyer and activist (1916–1986)

Minoru Yasui (安井稔, Yasui Minoru, October 19, 1916 – November 12, 1986) was an American lawyer from Oregon.

Born in Hood River, Oregon, he earned both an undergraduate degree and his law degree at the University of Oregon. He was one of the few Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor who fought laws that directly targeted Japanese Americans or Japanese immigrants.

His case was the first case to test the constitutionality of the curfews targeted at minority groups.

Yasui's case made its way to the United States Supreme Court, where his conviction for breaking curfew was affirmed.

Minoru yasui biography of michael

After internment during most of World War II, he moved to Denver, Colorado in 1944. In Denver, Yasui married and became a local leader in civic affairs, including leadership positions in the Japanese American Citizens League.

In 1986, his criminal conviction was overturned by the federal court.

In 2015, Senator Mazie K. Hirono nomi