Skip to main contentBiographySei Fujii (1882-1954) was an important community leader, who dedicated much of his life towards furthering and protecting the rights of the Issei. Fujii came to the United States from Japan in 1903, and he was among the first Japanese to graduate from University of Southern California Law School in 1911. Although, he was not permitted to practice law, he went into business with one of his former classmates, J. Marion Wright. Fujii would prepare the cases, and Wright would actually present them in court. Many of their clients were Issei farmers who otherwise would not have had access to legal advice and recourse. Among the successful court battles in which he was involved was Jordon v. Tashiro, which upheld the right of a group of Issei (led by Dr. Kikuo Tashiro) to establish the Japanese Hospital in Boyle Heights.
In 1931, Fujii founded the Kashu Mainichi, a bilingual Little-Tokyo-based daily newspaper. Not only did he publish and edit the paper, he regularly reported on and wrote stories, including a series criticizing the Tokyo Club, a local gambling, prostitution, and booze syndicate. These articles led to a number of death threats, the vandalizing of the paper's presses, and the near-fatal shooting of Fujii. Fujii's wife was also involved in the Kashu; As its home economist, she wrote a regular column that included recipes in English and Japanese.
Fujii's daughter, Ruth Brandt, was born in the West Adams area, but lived most of her childhood years on Rowan Street in East L.A., where she attended Malabar Elementary School, Belvedere Junior High School, and Garfield High School. When she was growing up, her family owned property-purchased under the names of American citizens-in Boyle Heights on First Street and on Eagle Street. Ruth Brandt recalls that her parents often hosted Japanese dignitaries during their visits to Los Angeles at the property on First Street.
During the war, Sei Fujii was incarcerated at the Justice Department camp in Lordsburg, New Mexico, while the rest of the family was sent to Heart Mountain. Afterwards, he and his family returned to East L.A. Although, his health had been failing since before the war, he quickly restarted the Kashu Mainichi and then soon after embarked upon the legal fight for which he is most recognized. In 1948, Fujii purchased property on North Record Street in East L.A. under his own name in defiance of the 1920 California Alien Land Law. When the state began an escheat action to take possession of the property, Fujii filed a lawsuit against it in Los Angeles Superior Court. Citing the Alien Land Law, the County Court ruled against Fujii in 1949. Fujii and his partner Wright subsequently appealed the decision to the California Supreme Court evoking the U.S. Constitution's equal protection under the law amendment as well as the United Nations Charter of 1945, which had been signed and ratified by the U.S. Congress. In April 1952, the CA Supreme Court ruled that the Alien Land Law violated the California and the U.S. Constitution.
In late 1954, Fujii suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 72.
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Fujii, Sei
In 1931, Fujii founded the Kashu Mainichi, a bilingual Little-Tokyo-based daily newspaper. Not only did he publish and edit the paper, he regularly reported on and wrote stories, including a series criticizing the Tokyo Club, a local gambling, prostitution, and booze syndicate. These articles led to a number of death threats, the vandalizing of the paper's presses, and the near-fatal shooting of Fujii. Fujii's wife was also involved in the Kashu; As its home economist, she wrote a regular column that included recipes in English and Japanese.
Fujii's daughter, Ruth Brandt, was born in the West Adams area, but lived most of her childhood years on Rowan Street in East L.A., where she attended Malabar Elementary School, Belvedere Junior High School, and Garfield High School. When she was growing up, her family owned property-purchased under the names of American citizens-in Boyle Heights on First Street and on Eagle Street. Ruth Brandt recalls that her parents often hosted Japanese dignitaries during their visits to Los Angeles at the property on First Street.
During the war, Sei Fujii was incarcerated at the Justice Department camp in Lordsburg, New Mexico, while the rest of the family was sent to Heart Mountain. Afterwards, he and his family returned to East L.A. Although, his health had been failing since before the war, he quickly restarted the Kashu Mainichi and then soon after embarked upon the legal fight for which he is most recognized. In 1948, Fujii purchased property on North Record Street in East L.A. under his own name in defiance of the 1920 California Alien Land Law. When the state began an escheat action to take possession of the property, Fujii filed a lawsuit against it in Los Angeles Superior Court. Citing the Alien Land Law, the County Court ruled against Fujii in 1949. Fujii and his partner Wright subsequently appealed the decision to the California Supreme Court evoking the U.S. Constitution's equal protection under the law amendment as well as the United Nations Charter of 1945, which had been signed and ratified by the U.S. Congress. In April 1952, the CA Supreme Court ruled that the Alien Land Law violated the California and the U.S. Constitution.
In late 1954, Fujii suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 72.
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