Sei Fujii was denied a law license because of his race. California's top court has granted him one, 63 years after his death
A Japanese immigrant who graduated from USC law school but could not practice because of his race received a license posthumously Wednesday from the California Supreme Court. California law barred legal licenses for immigrants at the time unless they were eligible for citizenship. While they were away, California used the Alien Land Law, which prohibited property ownership for noncitizens, to take away the land of many internees. The state tried to confiscate his property under the Alien Land Law, and Fujii’s case led to a landmark decision by the California Supreme Court. The court, deciding the real purpose of the Alien Land Law was to eliminate competition by Japanese immigrant farmers, found it violated the 14th Amendment.
Source: Los Angeles Times May 24, 2017 20:37 UTC
