Minoru Yasui

On March 28, 1942, Minoru Yasui intentionally violated curfew orders in Portland, Oregon, and then walked into a police station, demanding to be arrested. A lawyer and U.S. Army reserve officer, Yasui had worked at the Japanese consulate in Chicago. After Pearl Harbor he had been pressed into active duty, but subsequently was rejected for formal induction because of his Japanese ancestry. Yasui made himself a test case because he objected to the military orders that violated his rights as a citizen. Yasui was ultimately convicted of violating the curfew.

World War II (231)
Resistance and dissidence (84)
Supreme Court cases (16)
Minoru Yasui (35)

Related articles from the Densho Encyclopedia :
A.L. Wirin, Yasui v. United States, Minoru Yasui

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35 items

doc Minoru Yasui, Appellant, vs. United States of America (ddr-densho-156-189)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-156-189/

doc Letter to "The Nisei American Student" from Minoru Yasui (ddr-densho-156-106)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-156-106/

doc Japanese Testing Curfew Denied Bail (June 16, 1943) (ddr-densho-56-934)

The Seattle Daily Times, June 16, 1943, p. 11

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-934/

doc Fahy Defends Curfew on Japs (May 11, 1943) (ddr-densho-56-913)

The Seattle Daily Times, May 11, 1943, p. 5

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-913/

doc Jap Held in Curfew Case (April 23, 1942) (ddr-densho-56-766)

The Seattle Daily Times, April 23, 1942, p. 5

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-766/

doc High Court Upholds Jap Curfew, Restores U.S. Citizenship of Red. Exclusion Justified, Say Judges. (June 21, 1943) (ddr-densho-56-939)

The Seattle Daily Times, June 21, 1943, pp. 1, 4

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-56-939/

doc Advertisement for a Civil Liberties League meeting (ddr-densho-67-109)

This group is protesting Min Yasui's incarceration and wants to raise awareness of his case to all internees.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-67-109/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 88, No. 2027 (January 26, 1979) (ddr-pc-51-3)

Selected article titles: "I. Magnin, Joseph Magnin Urging Kenzo Label Change" (p. 1), "Yankee Samurai: Secret Role of Nisei in America's Pacific Victory" (pp. 1, 9-12), "Japan's Pearl Harbor Spy Saw Evacuation as 'Cruel Joke'" (p. 2), and "Min Yasui Letters: From the Multnomah Jail" (p. 5).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-51-3/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 94, No. 4 (January 29, 1982) (ddr-pc-54-4)

Selected article titles: "Comments from the Midwest: JACL's Top Priority: Goal Setting" (pp. 1, 10), "Japan Eases Ban of Untreated U.S. Farm Products" (p. 2), "Ye Editor's Desk: '…'Tis Not Too Late to Seek a Newer World'" (pp. 4, 7), and "Mineta Is a 'Mystery Man' to White House Staffers" (p. 10).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-54-4/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 103, No. 25 (December 19-26, 1986) (ddr-pc-58-50)

Special holiday issue organized into sections A 1-32, B 1-64, and A 33-64. Selected article titles: "As Others See Us: An Overview" (pp. A-4, A-13, A-20), "The Dilemma of the 'Model Minority' Image" (p. A-14), "Minoru Yasui, 1916-1986: In Remembrance" (pp. B-1-B-2), "The Nisei of the 1800 Engineer General Service Battalion: An Untold Story" (pp. B-39-B-40, …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-58-50/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 102, No. 21 (May 30, 1986) (ddr-pc-58-21)

Selected article titles: "Yasui Case Can Go to Appeals Court" (p. 1), "Violence Against Minorities a Serious Problem, State Commission Concludes" (pp. 1, 12), "Reporter Regrets Onizuka Remark" (pp. 2, 7), and "East Wind: America's Secret Weapon" (p. 4).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-58-21/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 103, No. 21 (November 21, 1986) (ddr-pc-58-46)

Selected article titles: "Min Yasui Dies at 70; Services Held in Denver" (pp. 1, 8), "Monetary Damages Sought: Supreme Court Will Hear Arguments on NCJAR Suit" (pp. 1, 3), "Coram Nobis Attorney Says Yasui Appeal Will Continue" (p. 1), and "Min Yasui: A Lifetime of Fighting for Justice" (pp. 5-7).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-58-46/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 103, No. 24 (December 12, 1986) (ddr-pc-58-49)

Selected article titles: "Family, Friends Remember: Yasui Services Held in Oregon Birthplace" (pp. 1-2), "Gov't Seeks Dismissal: Rights Groups Pledge Support for Yasui Case" (pp. 1, 6), and "Black-Asian Dispute: No Agreement Reached After D.C. 'Summit'" (pp. 1, 5).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-58-49/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 105, No. 2 (July 10-17, 1987) (ddr-pc-59-27)

Selected article titles: "Houston Judge Rejects Claim of Discrimination" (pp. 1-2), "Bork's Nomination Seen as Threat to Class Action Suit" (p. 1), "Yasui Family Requests Court to Review Coram Nobis Case" (p. 1), and "Survey Underway: How Charitable Are Asian Americans?" (pp. 3, 7).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-59-27/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 104, No. 14 (April 10, 1987) (ddr-pc-59-14)

Edition contains a 4 page travel section between pages 6 and 7. Selected article titles: "Yasui's Petition Dismissed; High Court Review Sought" (p. 1), "State Bill Proposed to Fund Film about JA Internment" (pp. 1, 3), "Ex-Internee Chronicles WW2 Experience" (p. 8), and "Supported by 'English First': English-Language Law Debated in New York" (p. 12).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-59-14/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 105, No. 12 (October 16, 1987) (ddr-pc-59-37)

Selected article titles: "On 'Japanese Americans & the U.S. Constitution'" (pp. 1-2), "JACL Director Responds: California Releases UCB Report" (pp. 1, 6), "Supreme Court Denies Latest Bid in Yasui Case" (pp. 1, 5), and "Editorial of the Pacific Citizen: After H.R. 442: Action Alert" (p. 4).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-59-37/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 104, No. 2 (January 16, 1987) (ddr-pc-59-2)

Selected article titles: "Broadcaster's Remarks Add to Black-Asian Tensions in Pa." (pp. 1-2), "Family, Attorneys to Continue Yasui Appeal" (pp. 1, 8), "Third Try: Redress Bill Is Introduced in 100th Congress" (p. 1), and "Arizona, Florida Next?: Proposition 63 Forces Plan Campaigns in Other States" (pp. 1, 3).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-59-2/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 105, No. 15 (November 6, 1987) (ddr-pc-59-40)

Selected article titles: "Diaries Returned: Wartime Distrust Followed Soldiers Across the Pacific" (p. 1), "Market Crash Halts Vote on S.1009" (p. 1), "Hearing on Anti-Asian Violence Set" (pp. 1, 5), and "Editorial of the Pacific Citizen: Gone But Not Forgotten" (p. 4).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-59-40/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 105, No. 11 (October 9, 1987) (ddr-pc-59-36)

Selected article titles: "Nikkei Crowd Jams Smithsonian Exhibit" (pp. 1, 6), "JACL Says Redress Now, Bork Later" (pp. 1, 8), "Yasui Coram Nobis Update" (pp. 3, 8), and "'Asian Americans and the Death of the Constitution'" (pp. 5-6).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-59-36/

doc Pacific Citizen, Vol. 106, No. 1 (January 1-8, 1988) (ddr-pc-60-1)

Special new year edition. Selected article titles: "Unlikely Journalist Writes Book About Unlikely Liberators" (pp. 1-2), "Yasui Coram Nobis: Case Closed" (p. 1), "The Exploration of the Magic Code" (pp. 2-3, 9-10), "Saburo Okinaga: World War II and the Experiences of One Japanese American in Hawaii" (p. 10), and "The Letters of Joseph Heco" (pp. 11-12).

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-pc-60-1/

doc Yasui v. United States, 772 F.2d 1496 (1985) (ddr-densho-405-38)

This document was available in conjunction with "Race, Rights and Reparation: Law and the Japanese American Internment" by Eric K. Yamamoto, Margaret Chon, Carol Izumi, Jerry Kang, and Frank Wu.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-405-38/

doc Yasui v. United States, District Court Order (ddr-densho-405-39)

This document was available in conjunction with "Race, Rights and Reparation: Law and the Japanese American Internment" by Eric K. Yamamoto, Margaret Chon, Carol Izumi, Jerry Kang, and Frank Wu.

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-405-39/

doc Min Yasui's Closing statement before Judge Fee, November 18, 1942 (ddr-densho-408-13)

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-408-13/

vh Minoru Yasui Interview Segment 5 (ddr-densho-1012-3-5)

Making the decision to violate the curfew; difficulty getting arrested (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1012-3-5/

vh Minoru Yasui Interview Segment 11 (ddr-densho-1012-3-11)

Vague recollections of hearing; memories of solitary confinement (audio only)

This interview is audio-only. It contains raw footage used by Steven Okazaki in his 1985 film Unfinished Business.

This material is based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, finding, and conclusions or recommendations expressed …

https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-1012-3-11/