Asakura v. City of Seattle
United States Supreme Court
265 U.S. 332 (1924)
Relevant factsFree
Asakura (plaintiff), a Japanese citizen operating a pawnshop in Seattle, challenged a city ordinance (defendant) requiring pawnbroker licensees to be U.S. citizens, arguing it violated a treaty guaranteeing Japanese citizens the right to trade in the U.S. on the same terms as citizens; the Washington Supreme Court upheld the ordinance.
IssueFree
Whether treaties of the United States preempt state law.