Yick Wo (1873-?)
b. China
Yick Wo v. Hopkins (1886)
Do You Know? Yick Wo was the name of a laundry business owned by Lee Yick. He was not a US citizen and he hired a white lawyer.
What: Lee claimed that San Francisco's Laundry Ordinance was discriminatory against the Chinese and violated their rights under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Decision: The Supreme Court ruled that the enforcement of the ordinance was biased and that Lee Yick was denied equal protection of the law.
Today: The 14th Amendment ensures that all laws and regulations should be written and enforced equally.
(Drawing by Perla Solano Aceves, SFSU 2020)
YICK WO seal (Solano Aceves) BW.pdf428.39 KB