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Who Was Fred Korematsu?
Fred Korematsu believed that the United States' decision to send Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II was racial discrimination and a violation of the Constitution. His case challenging the orders that resulted in his incarceration failed at the Supreme Court in 1944. In 1981, documents were discovered that showed the government had suppressed evidence in its arguments before the court, which led to the vacating of Korematsu's conviction in 1983. He then advocated for an apology and compensation for surviving internees. Korematsu died in 2005 at the age of 86.
What happened to Korematsu?
Though Korematsu found work as a draftsman, his conviction hung over him and restricted job opportunities throughout his life. Four decades after his case had been decided, it came to light that the government had suppressed intelligence about the loyalty of Japanese Americans, showing they posed no security threat, in its presentation to the Supreme Court. Arguing that false evidence had deceived the court, a legal team, mostly made up of Japanese American attorneys, petitioned to get Korematsu's case reopened. On November 10, 1983, when Korematsu was 63, his conviction was overturned by a federal judge.
What was the ruling in the Korematsu case?
The decision came down on December 18, 1944. In a 6-3 vote, the court ruled that Korematsu's conviction had been constitutional. The majority decided that the detention of Korematsu and others was not due to race, but rather " real military dangers .".
What did Korematsu do after 9/11?
In following years, in particular after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Korematsu tried to bring attention to other potential violations of civil liberties. He criticized parts of the Patriot Act and submitted a friend-of-the-court brief with the Supreme Court in support of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba.
How long was Korematsu on probation?
He was still found guilty and received five years' probation. Korematsu appealed his conviction, but it was upheld by a federal appeals court. The case was taken up by the Supreme Court and arguments were held in October 1944. The decision came down on December 18, 1944.
Why was Korematsu sent to an assembly center?
He was sent to an assembly center, which reunited him with his family, as his case began to make its way through the system. At his trial in September 1942, Korematsu, who'd attempted to enlist in the navy, proclaimed his loyalty as a citizen. He was still found guilty and received five years' probation.
Where was Toyosaburo Korematsu born?
Toyosaburo Korematsu was born in Oakland, California, on January 30, 1919. His parents, Kakusaburo Korematsu and Kotsui Aoki, had immigrated from Japan and owned a plant nursery. He was the third of their four sons. Korematsu was nicknamed "Fred" in school. Korematsu v.
How did Korematsu die?
Korematsu died Wednesday of respiratory illness at his daughter’s home in the Northern California community of Larkspur, according to his attorney, Dale Minami.
How old was Korematsu when he left his parents?
Korematsu, then 22, watched as his parents prepared to leave their home, but he decided to remain behind with his Italian American girlfriend.
Why was the Korematsu case reopened?
The Korematsu case was reopened in the 1980s because of Irons, who was researching a book on wartime internment. Irons discovered that the government lied to the high court, a lie that would provide the basis for a landmark 1983 federal court decision to vacate Korematsu’s conviction.
How long did it take to get the Korematsu conviction overturned?
Thus began a laborious 2 1/2 -year process to get the convictions of Korematsu, Hirabayashi and Yasui overturned. They would be the fair trials that Japanese Americans never had.
What was the Korematsus house searched for?
Like many other Japanese American homes, the Korematsus’ house was searched for flashlights and cameras, “everything that they thought we would use for signaling,” Korematsu said.
Who was the judge in the Korematsu case?
In preliminary discussions with U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel, who was presiding over the case, Justice Department lawyers tried to evade the issue. They suggested a pardon for Korematsu instead of proceeding with the case in court, but Korematsu didn’t want forgiveness for refusing to do something that he believed was unlawful.
Who visited Korematsu?
While in jail, Korematsu was visited by Ernest Besig, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, who was looking for cases to test the constitutionality of internment.
Why did Fred Korematsu have plastic surgery?
He underwent minor plastic surgery to alter his eyes in an attempt to look less Japanese. He also changed his name to Clyde Sarah and claimed to be of Spanish and Hawaiian descent.
Who is Fred Korematsu's daughter?
Note: This is a comprehensive, authoritative biography prepared by the Korematsu Institute and Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu. Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu was born in Oakland, California, on January 30, 1919. He was the third of four sons to Japanese immigrant parents who ran a floral nursery business in Oakland, California.
Why was Korematsu in jail?
Believing the discriminatory conviction went against freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, Korematsu appealed his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In its December 1944 landmark decision, the high court ruled against him in a 6 to 3 decision, declaring that the incarceration was not caused by racism, and was justified by the Army’s claims that Japanese Americans were radio-signaling enemy ships from shore and were prone to disloyalty. The court called the incarceration a “military necessity.” In one of the three stinging dissents, Justice Robert Jackson complained about the lack of any evidence to justify the incarceration, writing: “the Court for all time has validated the principle of racial discrimination … The principle then lies about like a loaded weapon, ready for the hand of any authority that can bring forward a plausible claim of an urgent need.”
What happened to the Korematsu case?
On November 10, 1983, Judge Marilyn Hall Patel of the U.S. District Court of Northern California in San Francisco formally overturned Korematsu’s conviction. It was a pivotal moment in U.S. civil rights history. Mr. Korematsu stood in front of Judge Patel and stated, “According to the Supreme Court decision regarding my case, being an American citizen was not enough. They say you have to look like one, otherwise they say you can’t tell a difference between a loyal and a disloyal American. I thought that this decision was wrong and I still feel that way. As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without a trial or a hearing. That is if they look like the enemy of our country. Therefore, I would like to see the government admit that they were wrong and do something about it so this will never happen again to any American citizen of any race, creed or color. ” Although Judge Patel’s ruling cleared Korematsu’s conviction, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1944 ruling still stands. It would require a similar test case, involving a mass banishment of a single ethnic group, to challenge the original Supreme Court decision.
What honor did Korematsu receive?
It was a pivotal moment in civil rights history. Korematsu remained an activist throughout his life. In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton.
Where was Korematsu transferred to?
Korematsu and his family were transferred from Tanforan to Topaz, Utah, where the government had set up one of 10 incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. Photo credit http://ilovehistory.utah.gov/time/stories/topaz.html.
Where did Korematsu speak?
He was invited to speak at numerous events and university campuses all over the United States about his experience, including the University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, Georgetown University, University of Michigan, Harvard and Yale. After 9/11, Korematsu continued to speak out.
Why did Fred Korematsu have plastic surgery?
He underwent minor plastic surgery to alter his eyes in an attempt to look less Japanese. He also changed his name to Clyde Sarah and claimed to be of Spanish and Hawaiian descent.
What did Korematsu do after his conviction?
After his conviction was overturned, Korematsu became an active member of the National Coalition for Redress and Reparations. He traveled to Washington DC and helped lobby for the passage of the bill which would grant an official apology from the U.S. government and a token compensation of $20,000 for each surviving Japanese American that was incarcerated. Although President Ronald Reagan had initially opposed the redress and reparations legislation, he soon reversed his position due to political pressure and an increasing effort on behalf of Japanese Americans to seek economic, legal and political redress. On August 10, 1988, President Reagan signed the redress and reparations legislation into law.
Why was Korematsu in jail?
Believing the discriminatory conviction went against freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, Korematsu appealed his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In its December 1944 landmark decision, the high court ruled against him in a 6 to 3 decision, declaring that the incarceration was not caused by racism, and was justified by the Army’s claims that Japanese Americans were radio-signaling enemy ships from shore and were prone to disloyalty. The court called the incarceration a “military necessity.” In one of the three stinging dissents, Justice Robert Jackson complained about the lack of any evidence to justify the incarceration, writing: “the Court for all time has validated the principle of racial discrimination … The principle then lies about like a loaded weapon, ready for the hand of any authority that can bring forward a plausible claim of an urgent need.”
What happened to Korematsu after 9/11?
After 9/11, Korematsu continued to speak out. In 2003, he filed a “Friend of the Court” amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court for two cases appealed before the Supreme Court of the United States, on behalf of Muslim inmates being held at Guantanamo Bay: Shafiq Rasul, v. George W. Bush and Khaled A.F. Al Odah v. United States of America.
What honor did Korematsu receive?
It was a pivotal moment in civil rights history. Korematsu remained an activist throughout his life. In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton.
How did Korematsu's conviction affect his life?
Supreme Court conviction had a lasting impact on his basic rights, affecting his ability to obtain employment.
Where was Korematsu arrested?
On May 30, 1942, he was arrested on a street corner in San Leandro, California, and taken to San Francisco county jail. While in jail, he was visited by Ernest Besig, the director of the San Francisco office of the American Civil Liberties Union, who asked Korematsu if he was willing to become the test case to challenge the constitutionality ...
Who Was Fred Korematsu?
Early Life
- Toyosaburo Korematsu was born in Oakland, California, on January 30, 1919. His parents, Kakusaburo Korematsu and Kotsui Aoki, had immigrated from Japan and owned a plant nursery. He was the third of their four sons. Korematsu was nicknamed "Fred" in school.
Korematsu v. United States
- Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the subsequent entry of the United States into World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942. Stating the need for"protection against espionage and against sabotage," it gave directions "to prescribe military areas in such places ...
Incarceration and Release
- Korematsu spent his first months of detention at a horse racing track that served as an assembly center, where he was forced to live in a horse stall. He and his family were next transferred to the Topaz internment camp in Utah. This location was guarded by military police and surrounded by barbed wire. The six adults in his family had to squeeze into two dusty barracks rooms. Other de…
Conviction Overturned and Activism
- Though Korematsu found work as a draftsman, his conviction hung over him and restricted job opportunities throughout his life. Four decades after his case had been decided, it came to light that the government had suppressed intelligence about the loyalty of Japanese Americans, showing they posed no security threat, in its presentation to the Supreme Court. Arguing that fal…
Personal Life
- Korematsu married Kathryn Pearson in Michigan in 1946. They moved to California three years later. They had two children, Karen and Ken. Korematsu's daughter stated in a 2012 interviewthat her father "felt responsible for the loss of his Supreme Court case in 1944 in regard to the rest of the Japanese and Japanese Americans that had been incarcerated, and he carried around the w…
Legacy
- The Fred T. Korematsu Institute provides materials to teach younger generations about Japanese American internment. Its executive director is Korematsu's daughter Karen. The middle-grade biography Fred Korematsu Speaks Up, the biography Enduring Conviction: Fred Korematsu and His Quest for Justice and the documentary Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Stor…