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The Story of Hirabayashi v. United States: Scott and Laurie Oki's Fight for Justice in Asian America

Dean Butler

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Published in A Principled Stand: The Story Of Hirabayashi V United States (Scott And Laurie Oki In Asian American Studies)

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A Principled Stand: The Story of Hirabayashi v United States (Scott and Laurie Oki in Asian American Studies)

A Principled Stand: The Story of Hirabayashi v. United States (Scott and Laurie Oki Series in Asian American Studies)

by Gordon K. Hirabayashi

4.5 out of 5

Language	:	English
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In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the forced removal of Japanese Americans from the West Coast to inland internment camps. Over 120,000 people, two-thirds of whom were American citizens, were uprooted from their homes and incarcerated for the duration of World War II.

One of the most famous legal challenges to Executive Order 9066 was Hirabayashi v. United States. The case was brought by Gordon Hirabayashi, a Japanese American college student who refused to report to a camp. He was convicted of violating military orders and sentenced to prison. Hirabayashi appealed his conviction, and the case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court.

In 1943, the Supreme Court ruled against Hirabayashi in a 6-3 decision. The Court held that the government's interest in national security justified the internment of Japanese Americans. However, the Court's decision was not unanimous. Justice Frank Murphy wrote a powerful dissent, arguing that the internment was a violation of the Constitution.

Hirabayashi's case became a symbol of the injustice of the Japanese American internment. In the years since the war, the government has apologized for the internment and Congress has passed legislation to compensate the victims.

One of the most important figures in the fight for justice for Japanese Americans was Scott Oki, a lawyer who represented Hirabayashi in his case. Oki was born in Hawaii to Japanese parents. He graduated from the University of Hawaii and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. After the war, Oki returned to Hawaii and began practicing law. He was a strong advocate for civil rights, and he represented many Japanese Americans who were seeking redress for the internment.

In 1983, Oki met Laurie Oki, a young lawyer who was working for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Laurie was born in California to Japanese American parents. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. After law school, Laurie worked for the Japanese American Citizens League and the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium. She was also a member of the board of directors of the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area.

Scott and Laurie Oki were married in 1985. They had two children, a son and a daughter. Scott passed away in 2002, but Laurie continues to work for civil rights and social justice. She is a member of the board of directors of the Japanese American National Museum and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. She is also a faculty member at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

The story of Hirabayashi v. United States is a reminder of the importance of fighting for justice. It is also a story of courage, resilience, and hope. Scott and Laurie Oki are two of the many heroes who fought for the rights of Japanese Americans. Their work has made a lasting impact on the Asian American community and on the United States as a whole.

Additional Resources

* Japanese American Citizens League: Hirabayashi v. United States * Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund * Japanese American National Museum

A Principled Stand: The Story of Hirabayashi v. United States (Scott and Laurie Oki Series in Asian American Studies)

by Gordon K. Hirabayashi

4.5 out of 5