Fred Korematsu Day

The Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution is celebrated on January 30 in California and a growing number of additional states to commemorate the birthday of Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American civil rights activist best known for resisting the internment of Japanese Americans (see Korematsu v. US). It also recognizes American civil liberties and rights under the Constitution of the United States. It is the first day in U.S. history named after an Asian American.

History

Legislation establishing Fred Korematsu Day was first signed into law by New York City in 2008 and then-governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, on September 23, 2010.^[1][2] The legislation passed unanimously in both the Assembly and Senate.^[3]

It was first officially commemorated in 2011 at the University of California, Berkeley.^[4] Educational materials were also distributed to school teachers for classroom use.^[5]

National Fred Korematsu Day

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights recommended that a national Fred Korematsu Day be established as a national holiday in 2015.^[6][7]

In January 2023, the fight for a national Fred Korematsu Day continued with a resolution to establish a national Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution introduced in the United States Congress led by Representatives Mark Takano and Jill Tokuda in the U.S. House and Senators Mazie Hirono and Tammy Duckworth in the Senate.^[8] A number of additional members of Congress made statements in support.^[9]

Additional states

Since passage in California, Fred Korematsu Day has also been recognized in additional states.

The states of Hawaii^[10] (2013), Virginia^[11] (2015), Florida (2016), New York (2018)^[12] and Arizona^[13] (2021) are among the states who have recognized Fred Korematsu Day in perpetuity by legislation.

Fred Korematsu Day was also celebrated in Illinois in 2014,^[14] but it isn't clear whether then-governor Pat Quinn's proclamation extended past the year. Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Utah have also submitted resolutions honoring the day, while South Carolina has submitted a bill to their legislature.^[15]

Other commemorations

Google recognized Fred Korematsu Day in 2017 with a Google Doodle by artist Sophie Diao, featuring a patriotic portrait of Korematsu wearing his Presidential Medal of Freedom, a scene of the internment camps to his back, surrounded by cherry blossoms, flowers that have come to be symbols of peace and friendship between the US and Japan.^[16]

See also

• Day of Remembrance (Japanese Americans)
• Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
• Empty Chair Memorial
• Go for Broke Monument
• Harada House
• Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II
• National Japanese American Veterans Memorial Court
• Sakura Square

References

1. "korematsuinstitute.org".^{[permanent dead link]}
2. "AB 1775 Assembly Bill". Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-10.
3. Jan 2011, Ling Woo Liu / 26. "Celebrating Fred Korematsu Day". Discover Nikkei. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
4. Ling Woo Liu (30 January 2011). "California Marks the First Fred Korematsu Day". Time. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
5. Kevin Fagan (29 January 2011). "Fred Korematsu Day a first for an Asian American". SF Gate. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
6. "Virginia to Celebrate Korematsu Day for First Time". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-10-15.
7. Letter from the US Commission on Civil Rights to President Barack Obama. February 2, 2015.
8. Reports, Rafu (2023-01-31). "Reps. Takano, Tokuda, Sens. Hirono, Duckworth Introduce Legislative Package Honoring Korematsu on His Birthday". Rafu Shimpo. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
9. "CAPAC Members Commemorate Fred Korematsu Day 2023 | Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC)". capac-chu.house.gov. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
10. Robbins, Jennifer (30 January 2013). "Gov. Abercrombie declares Fred Korematsu day in Hawaii". Hawaii News Now. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
11. Kai-Hwa Wang, Frances (27 January 2016). "Virginia to Celebrate Korematsu Day for First Time". Retrieved 2 February 2017.
12. "Inaugural NYC Celebration of Fred T. Korematsu Day". apa.nyu.edu. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
13. "Arizona legislation fetes civil rights icon Fred Korematsu". AP NEWS. April 20, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
14. All Things Considered (30 January 2014). "Honoring A Japanese-American Who Fought Against Internment Camps". NPR. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
15. Grimes, Ryan (29 January 2016). "Karen Korematsu asks Michigan to honor her father's fight for civil liberties". Michigan Radio. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
16. "Fred Korematsu's 98th Birthday". Google Doodle. Retrieved 30 January 2017.