Minoru Yasui
American activist
Died when: 70 years 24 days (840 months)Star Sign: Libra
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.
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 nominated Yasui for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States.
On November 16, 2015, President Barack Obama announced that Yasui would receive a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.The Medal was presented to Lori Yasui in a White House ceremony November 24, 2015.
Related People
American activist
American activist
American activist