Although Justice Douglas wrote that “racism as a constitutional principle was emphatically rejected” in Yick Wo, he noted that on May 15, 1893, the Supreme Court provided a dark day for resident aliens. However, in discussing the case, Justice Douglas focused on Justice David J. Brewer, a conservative justice, who became a champion of individual rights.
On May 10, 1998, the Supreme Court set aside the conviction of Yick Wo. San Francisco had passed an ordinance that required laundry operators to obtain licenses. The city argued they needed to ensure that wooden buildings were not used as laundries. However, 200 invididuals were denied permits, all of Chinese descent, and 80 individuals …