who was fred korematsu lawyer

by Elsa Stiedemann III 7 min read

Wayne M. Collins

Who is Fred Korematsu?

Besig was an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and wanted to support Korematsu in fighting his arrest. He warned Korematsu that his chances of winning were slim but that Besig wanted to take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

What did Fred Korematsu believe about internment?

FRED KOREMATSU’S STORY Abbreviated Biography Fred T. Korematsu was a national civil rights hero. In 1942, at the age of 23, he refused to go to the government’s incarceration camps for Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the government’s order, he appealed his case all the way to the Supreme Court. … Fred’s Story Read More »

What is Korematsu v United States about?

Mar 30, 2005 · 1982-1983 lead counsel, Dale Minami, with Fred Korematsu and 1942-1944 ACLU attorney Ernest Besig. Photo by Shirley Nakao, courtesy of the Korematsu Institute More info » Fred Korematsu discusses his wartime violation of the incarceration order.

What happened to Fred Korematsu in the stockade?

Jul 24, 2019 · Born Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu, Fred Korematsu was a civil rights activist from the United States. He was born on January 30, 1919 and passed away on March 30, 2005. He was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California. His main concern was the rights and freedom of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

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Who defended Korematsu decision?

Ernest Besig, ACLU lawyer who helped Fred Korematsu bring his case. Lorraine Bannai, Professor at Seattle University School of Law and friend of Fred's family. Richard Posner, recently retired Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit.

Who was Fred Korematsu Edgenuity?

Who was Fred Korematsu? An American citizen who lived in California. Constitutional.

What did Fred Toyosaburo korematsu do to avoid being sent to an internment camp with his parents?

Korematsu, a welder who lived in California, was ordered on May 3, 1942, to report to an assembly center for relocation to an internment camp. Though his family obeyed the directive, Korematsu did not. He instead adopted a fake identity and even underwent plastic surgery in an attempt to alter his appearance.May 3, 2021

Who was Fred Korematsu quizlet?

Fred Korematsu was a Japanese American living in California who, after being ordered into a Japanese internment camp, refused to leave his city. specified by the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. exercise over citizens.

Who was Fred Korematsu internment and the Constitution?

Annotation: The son of Japanese immigrants, Fred Korematsu was just 23 years old when he refused to obey an internment order. In the case of Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether American citizens could be summarily relocated to detention camps solely on the basis of their race.

What was Fred Korematsu's case?

United States, legal case in which the U.S. Supreme Court, on December 18, 1944, upheld (6–3) the conviction of Fred Korematsu—a son of Japanese immigrants who was born in Oakland, California—for having violated an exclusion order requiring him to submit to forced relocation during World War II.Mar 21, 2022

What was Fred Korematsu famous for?

Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu (January 30, 1919 – March 30, 2005) was an American civil rights activist who resisted the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

Did Korematsu go to jail?

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. On May 30, 1942, he was arrested on a street corner in San Leandro, California, and taken to San Francisco county jail.

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.

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 was the Amicus brief about?

The amicus brief’s statement of interest emphasized the similarity of the unlawful detainment of Fred Korematsu during WWII and that of Jose Padilla following the events of 9/11 and warned the American government of repeating their mistakes of the past.

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.

What was the name of the court case that Korematsu was overturned?

In the 1980s, legal historian and author Peter Irons filed a petition—called the writ of coram nobis —to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court in San Francisco to have Korematsu's conviction overturned on the grounds that the Supreme Court had made its decision based on false information.

What was the first day of the year for Fred Korematsu?

On January 30, 2011, California held its first Fred Korematsu Day, the first day in the U.S. to be named after an Asian American, commemorating his lifetime ...

What honor did Korematsu receive?

In 1999, Korematsu received a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. After 9/11, he filed an amicus—or "friend of the court"—brief with the Supreme Court for two cases on behalf of Muslim inmates being held at Guantanamo Bay.

Where was Korematsu born?

Korematsu was born on January 30, 1919, to Japanese parents who ran a plant nursery in Oakland, California. He worked as a shipyard welder after graduating from high school until he lost his job after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He was 22 when the U.S. plunged into war.

How much did Besig pay for Korematsu?

Although Besig paid Korematsu's $5,000 bail, Korematsu was sent to Tanforan immediately after his release. After the federal district court in San Francisco found him guilty of violating military orders, his court case went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1944. The high court upheld the lower court's ruling in a 6-3 vote.

Where did Fred Korematsu go to high school?

During his stay in Oakland, Korematsu attended the Castlemont High School where he was active in sports like tennis and swimming. Fred attempted to join the army while still in high school but he was discriminated because of his race.

Where is Fred Korematsu buried?

He was born on January 30, 1919 and passed away on March 30, 2005. He was buried at the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California. His main concern was the rights and freedom of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Why did Korematsu become an activist?

Korematsu’s main reason for becoming an activist was that he was in opposition to the order that allowed the internment of Japanese Americans. Korematsu was against the idea that innocent people could be taken from their homes and placed in internment camps.

What was the Korematsu v. the United States case?

the United States, was what forced Korematsu to become a fugitive activist. In 2018, that ruling was officially overruled after new evidence, which had been withheld during the initial case, emerged.

What is the name of the school named after Korematsu?

An example of such a school is the Fred T. Korematsu Elementary School in Davis, California. Another school is the Fred T. Korematsu Campus (formerly the San Leandro High School) in San Leandro.

Why was Korematsu discriminated against?

He Was Discriminated Against Throughout His Entire Life. Korematsu faced a number of discriminations largely due to his Japanese lineage. During World War II, after he was again denied entry to the military due to ulcers, he decided to train as a welder and started working at a shipyard.

What did Korematsu do after 9/11?

While being sympathetic, he advised the government to avoid making the same discrimination that happened to people of Japanese lineage. In fact, he filed documents warning the Supreme Court after a protracted detainment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Why did Fred Korematsu go to internment camps?

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.

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 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.

Why did Korematsu break up with his girlfriend?

The girlfriend he'd hoped to marry, an Italian American, broke up with him, in part because she was subjected to police pressure. In November 1942, Korematsu and other young camp residents were given permission to leave the Utah camp to work.

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.

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.

What happened to Brandon Lee?

Brandon Lee was an action film star and the son of actor Bruce Lee. His untimely death was caused by a prop gun accident on the set of the film 'The Crow.'

News & Events

Professor of lawyering skills and director of the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality retires after 41 years.

Advocacy

Read about the center’s work in the courtroom to achieve just outcomes.

Initiatives and projects

Our initiatives, spearheaded by dedicated faculty, staff, students, seek to create a more just and humane society.

Work with us

The Korematsu Center offers opportunities for law students and the legal community to work directly with our faculty and staff attorneys.

Who is Fred Korematsu?

Fred Korematsu, 23, was a Japanese-American citizen who did not comply with the order to leave his home and job, despite the fact that his parents had abandoned their home and their flower-nursery business in preparation for reporting to a camp. Korematsu planned to stay behind.

What court did Korematsu appeal?

Korematsu’s attorneys appealed the trial court’s decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which agreed with the trial court that he had violated military orders. Korematsu asked the Supreme Court of the United States to hear his case. On December 18, 1944, a divided Supreme Court ruled, in a 6-3 decision, that the detention was a “military necessity” ...

What did Justice Jackson call the exclusion order?

Justice Jackson called the exclusion order “the legalization of racism” that violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. He compared the exclusion order to the “abhorrent and despicable treatment of minority groups by the dictatorial tyrannies which this nation is now pledged to destroy.

What did the exclusion order violate?

He called the exclusion order "the legalization of racism” that violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

What was the order that the US put off Japanese ancestry?

About 10 weeks after the U.S. entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942 signed Executive Order 9066 . The order authorized the Secretary of War and the armed forces to remove people of Japanese ancestry from what they designated as military areas and surrounding communities in the United States. These areas were legally off limits to Japanese aliens and Japanese-American citizens.

How long did it take for Japanese to move to detention camps?

The order set in motion the mass transportation and relocation of more than 120,000 Japanese people to sites the government called detention camps that were set up and occupied in about 14 weeks.

Where did the US military relocate the US?

In accordance with the order, the military transported them to some 26 sites in seven western states, including remote locations in Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Arizona.

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Overview

Biography

Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu was born in Oakland, California, on January 30, 1919, the third of four sons to Japanese parents Kakusaburo Korematsu and Kotsui Aoki, who immigrated to the United States in 1905. Korematsu resided continuously in Oakland from his birth until the time of his arrest. He attended public schools, participated in the Castlemont High School(Oakland, California…

Legacy

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute carries Korematsu's name to continue his work with teachers and community leaders across the country to promote Korematsu's fight for justice and civil liberties.
The Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality at the Seattle University School of Law"advance[s] justice and equality through research, advocacy, an…

See also

• Day of Remembrance (Japanese Americans)
• Gordon Hirabayashi
• Japanese American redress and court cases
• List of civil rights leaders

Further reading

• "S.Res.126 – A resolution honoring Fred T. Korematsu for his loyalty and patriotism to the United States and expressing condolences to his family, friends, and supporters on his death". Congress.gov. April 27, 2005. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
• "Fred Korematsu: Why ignore a true hero?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved January 30, 2017.

External links

• "One person can make a difference. Even if it takes 40 years." Fred Korematsu Day, 1/30/2014
• Topaz Japanese-American Relocation Center Digital Collection
• Japanese Relocation (1943 FILM- viewable for free at not-for profit- The Internet Archive)