Home History About Schedule/Calendar Info for Members Join Gallery History of Minoru Yasui and the Minoru Yasui American Inn of Court The Minoru Yasui American Inn of Court was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1996. Our Namesake, Minoru Yasui, continues to inspire our members to contribute positively to the Denver community. Min, as he liked to be called, spent his lifetime fighting discrimination and encouraging community development. In 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, imposing a curfew for people of Japanese ancestry. Outraged, Min deliberately broke the curfew law in order to serve as a test-case, challenging the constitutionality of 9066. For the sake of justice, Min suffered great hardship. Min was sent to an internment camp while awaiting sentencing. The court gave Min the maximum sentence of a $5,000 fine and one year in jail. Min was placed in solitary confinement for 9 months. In 1946, Min moved to Colorado. Min passed the Colorado bar examination with the highest score that year. Nonetheless, the bar denied Min admission because of his past criminal history. With the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union, Min was eventually allowed to practice law in Colorado. Min spent his time in Colorado protecting civil rights. He served on over 75 organizations. Min’s dedication to civil rights was not isolated to Japanese Americans. He served on organizations protecting the rights of African Americans, Latin Americans, and Native Americans. Min’s dedication to improving civil rights and community development never wavered. On November 12, 1986, Minoru Yasui died. Two years later, his life’s work was vindicated by the enactment of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. This legislation provided redress and an official apology from the United States government to Japanese Americans incarcerated or relocated during World War II. Further Reading about Minoru Yasui: Minoru Yasui, article by Judge Kerry S. Hada and Andrew S. Hamano [.doc] Article about Minoru Yasui from The Colorado Lawyer [.doc] Minoru Yasui timeline [.pdf] Minoru Yasui's resumé [.pdf]