Dear Voornaam,
It was at dusk time in 1942 when a young 25-year-old Japanese-American, Minoru Yasui, walked up and down 3rd Avenue in downtown Portland. It was after 8:00 PM, and for over three hours, Yasui rambled the sidewalks with the fierce, deliberate intention to prove the injustice of Executive Order 9066, which targeted individuals of Japanese ancestry to abide by the curfews that unequivocally violated constitutional rights.
Yasui, born in Hood River, Oregon – a newly minted University of Oregon law school graduate and practicing lawyer with wry wit and humility – approached the local police office to be arrested, only to then spend nine months in solitary confinement before being transported to an internment camp in the neighboring state of Idaho.
He believed that these curfew orders were unconstitutional and violated the civil rights of Japanese Americans, and his case eventually made its way to the United States Supreme Court. Although the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the constitutionality of the curfew orders, Minoru Yasui's actions demonstrated his unwavering commitment to justice and willingness to fight for what was right, even in the face of adversity.
As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the life and legacy of Minoru Yasui and the many other pioneering civil rights activists' shoulders we stand on in the plight of justice and equality for all Americans.
