For Us All: Fred Korematsu's Quest for Justice

New audio play tells the true story of the legal fight to overturn Korematsu v. United States.



L.A. Theatre Works presents For Us All, a new audio play based on the true story of a team of lawyers who used a little-known legal writ to fight and overturn the conviction of Fred Korematsu, unjustly sentenced for resisting the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Written by Jeanne Sakata, the cast includes Brookie Ishibashi, Derek Mio, Joy Osmanski, Josh Stamberg, Greg Watanabe and Paul Yen. It's available for purchase as an mp3 download (or CD), and includes a conversation with Sakata and four of the attorneys from the Korematsu v. United States case: Lori Bannai, Peter Irons, Dale Minami and Don Tamaki.

More here: For Us All

A Call to Action by Jay Hirabayashi, Holly Yasui, and Karen Korematsu

By Jay Hirabayashi, Holly Yasui, and Karen Korematsu. Cross-Posted from Stop Repeating History!


Karen Korematsu (left), Holly Yasui (middle), and Jay Hirabayashi on a panel at the 2013 JANM National Conference. (Photo via DiscoverNikkei.org.)

A Call to Action: Reject the Shameful Legacy of Japanese American Incarceration and Call Upon the U.S. Supreme Court to Fulfill Its Role as Defender of the Constitution

Today's Google Doodle honors Fred Korematsu Day

"If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up."



Happy Fred Korematsu Day! On this day, January 30, we celebrate the life and legacy of civil rights icon Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu. And at long last, Google has honored Mr. Korematsu's birthday -- officially designated "Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution" -- with a hallowed homepage Doodle. All things considered, the timing could not be more appropriate.

After Franklin D. Roosvelt signed Executive Order 9066 in 1942, more than 100,000 people of Japanese descent were forcibly removed from the west coast and relocated to internment camps throughout the United States. Fred Korematsu, however, did not go quietly. He was arrested and convicted for resisting incarceration. He appealed and took his case all the way to the Supreme Court in Korematsu v. United States, but lost.

But in 1983, the U.S. District Court in San Francisco formally vacated Korematsu's conviction after evidence came to light that disputed the necessity of the internment. At the time, he told Judge Marilyn Patel that instead of a legal pardon, he wanted to be assured the U.S. government would never again take such an action.

"If anyone should do any pardoning," Korematsu said, "I should be the one pardoning the government for what they did to the Japanese American people."

Let's celebrate Fred Korematsu Day with a Google Doodle

Sign 18 Million Rising's petition asking Google to honor a civil rights hero.

Fred Korematsu Day honors the life and legacy of Japanese American civil rights hero Fred Korematsu, who, at 23-years-old, stood up against racism and discrimination and refused to be injustly incarcerated by the United States government during World War II. It's the first day in U.S. history named after an Asian American.

This Friday, January 30, people across the country will honoring Fred Korematsu on the fifth annual Korematsu Day. Hopefully, there will be schoolkids getting classroom lessons about Mr. Korematsu and the importance of preserving civil liberties. But wouldn't be great if more people knew about his story?

That's where Google might be able to help. Our friends at 18 Million Rising are leading the charge to request that Google dedicate Friday's "Doodle" to Fred Korematsu:

5th Annual Fred Korematsu Day Celebration

Friday, January 30 at City Arts & Lectures



Stand up for what is right! If you're in the Bay Area, you're invited to take part in the 5th Annual Korematsu Day Celebration, a commemoration of the life and legacy of Japanese American civil rights hero Fred T. Korematsu. It's happening Friday, January 30 at City Arts and Lectures-Nourse Theatre in San Francisco.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Mr. Korematsu's passing in 2005, and the celebration will feature a keynote address from noted actor/activist George Takei, plus other special guests.

Here are some more details about the event:

Bay Area middle school to be renamed for Fred Korematsu

School board unanimously votes to rename Portola Middle School for Japanese American civil rights hero



Some cool news out of the Bay Area... Middle school students in El Cerrito, California will soon be attending Fred T. Korematsu Middle School, renamed in honor of the late civil rights leader who hailed from the area and was arrested for his refusal to cooperate with the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

El Cerrito middle school name change approved

This week, the West Contra Costa Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously to rename Portola Middle School after the civil rights icon. A committee recommended the name change earlier this month after listening to testimony at four community meetings and two school board meetings.

Bay Area middle school may be renamed for Fred Korematsu

School board has plans to rename Portola Middle School for Japanese American civil rights hero



Some cool news out of the Bay Area... A new middle school campus in El Cerrito has plans to be renamed for the late civil rights hero Fred Korematsu, who hailed from the area and was arrested for his refusal to cooperate with the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

El Cerrito middle school may be renamed for Japanese American rights advocate

Korematsu, who was born in Oakland in 1919 and grew up in San Leandro, was arrested for defying the government's wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. He appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the internment, but lost. Decades later, in 1983, Korematsu was vindicated when his case was overturned. It was a landmark moment in civil rights history.

The plan to rename Portola Middle School after Korematsu will be on the agenda for consideration by the West Contra Costa school board next week.

Fred Korematsu Day Celebration, January 26

"Stand Up For What Is Right"



If you're in the Bay Area, the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education invites you to the fourth annual Korematsu Day Celebration. This year's event, "Stand Up For What Is Right!," will feature Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, activist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas and Congressman Mike Honda. It's happening Sunday, January 26 at the Morris Daily Auditorium at San Jose State University.

Here are some more details:

Utah governor proclaims Fred Korematsu Day

Do you know about Fred Korematsu? His landmark Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States challenged the legality of the mass removal of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II, and is considered a milestone for modern civil rights.

Over half a century later in Utah -- the state where Korematsu was held at the Topaz internment camp -- Governor Gary Herbert will proclaim January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day, in honor of the civil rights hero: Utah governor to honor Topaz internee, Fred Korematsu.

Mark Your Calendars: Fred Korematsu Day 2013

Hey, everybody. A friendly reminder to mark your calendars for Fred Korematsu Day 2013, happening January 30. The first day in U.S. history to be named after an Asian American, the Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution celebrates the life of Fred Korematsu and recognizes the importance of preserving civil liberties.

There are nearly twenty Korematsu Day events currently scheduled in Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan, including the flagship "Heroes" Celebration event in San Francisco happening Sunday, January 27 at the Herbst Theater. Here are some more details:

the search for alice wong

Is your name Alice Wong? Do you know someone named Alice Wong?

The Fred Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education will be honoring a series of Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights heroes in January. They're desperately trying to track down Alice Wong, great granddaughter of Wong Kim Ark, the San Francisco native and plaintiff in a landmark 1898 Supreme Court case that re-affirmed birthright citizenship.

Here's a 1998 article about Alice and her great grandfather's case: The Progeny of Citizen Wong.

If you are THE Alice Wong the Korematsu Institute is looking for, or if you know how they can reach her, please email info@korematsuinstitute.org. Spread the word.