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:

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: