Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

Honoring the Legacy of Fred Korematsu

Today, we honor the legacy of Fred Korematsu, a Japanese American hero who stood his ground in the face of injustice.

After the Pearl Harbor attacks in 1941, Fred Korematsu challenged President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 that authorized the U.S. military to forcibly remove more than 120,000 people, mostly of Japanese descent, from their homes and into incarceration camps throughout the country. Two-thirds of these people were American citizens. Mr. Korematsu went into hiding in the Oakland area, becoming a fugitive, and was arrested and convicted of violating the federal order. His case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 6-3 decision, the Court upheld the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066 under the justification of national security.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed a special commission to investigate Japanese American internment during World War II. The commission concluded that the decisions to remove those of Japanese ancestry to internment camps occurred because of "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership". Four decades after the Supreme Court decision, a legal historian discovered evidence proving that U.S. intelligence agencies knew that Japanese Americans posed no military threat to the country during World War II. Mr. Korematsu's conviction was overturned in 1983 by District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel. When Mr. Korematsu stood in front of Judge Marilyn Patel he said these famous words: “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.” In a formal apology under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, the U.S. government granted $1.6 billion in reparations to all Japanese Americans who had been interned.

In 1998 when President Clinton awarded Mr. Korematsu the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, he stated, "In the long history of our country's constant search for justice, some names of ordinary citizens stand for millions of souls.  Plessy, Brown, Parks … to that distinguished list, today we add the name of Fred Korematsu."

Fred Korematsu died of respiratory failure at his daughter's home in Marin County, California on March 30, 2005. To commemorate his legacy, on September 23, 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill that designates January 30 “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.”

Today, we honor the legacy of Fred Korematsu so we will never forget the injustices inflicted upon innocent citizens who were incarcerated, treated like second-class citizens, and denied due process and equal protection guaranteed to them by the Constitution. The stories of Fred Korematsu and of many other leaders in the fight for civil rights not only remind us of the wrongs in history, but also serve as a learning opportunity for all of us on how we should treat our neighbors and fellow citizens. Today, we remember the dangers of casting stereotypes based on race, religion, or sexual orientation. And we recommit to our country’s ideals of protecting civil rights and promoting an environment where people can strive to achieve the American dream based solely on the content of their characters, not on the color of their skin, where they come from, or who they love. 

Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Apply to be a 2014 – 2015 White House Fellow

I remember my dad’s first question to me after I told him that I had been selected to be a White House Fellow. He asked, “Does this mean you aren’t going to be a doctor?” I had applied to be a White House Fellow after finally finishing nine years of medical and residency training, and in the eyes of my dad, completing the journey of the “good Asian son,” which of course ended in one of three ways: a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer. While the White House Fellowship may not have been the traditional next step in a medical career, the fellowship offered me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage in the issues facing our country and to give back to a nation that had afforded me every opportunity to be successful.  Three months into the fellowship, I have not been disappointed.

The White House Fellowship is a program dedicated to leadership and public service. Fellows are placed in various White House offices and executive agencies to learn from and contribute to the efforts of senior leaders in our federal government. We also participate in a rich educational series where we discuss ideas across all policy arenas with many of our nation’s most prominent leaders. The program is also deeply committed to community service where we lead service events throughout the year that allow us to connect with and serve individuals in times of need.

This year for my fellowship, I am placed at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services working in the office of Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. In a historic year for our nation’s health, I have had unique access to see firsthand the implementation of the Affordable Care Act through successful and challenging times. I am involved in projects that seek to make it easier for our nation’s communities to be healthier and to help narrow health disparities facing vulnerable groups across our country. Discussion with Cabinet Secretaries and global leaders during our educational series has broadened my horizons as my co-fellows and I consider education, poverty, civil-military relationships, global development, and other grand challenges facing our nation. Each day, I am continually challenged by my co-fellows to grow as an individual and as a leader.

As I reflect on these past few months, I am incredibly grateful and humbled to be serving as a White House Fellow. While admittedly cheesy, I must say that my optimism for our nation’s future grows as I see the ability of dedicated individuals to affect change and improve the community in which they live. I would encourage all young Americans, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, to consider applying for the White House Fellowship. The Asian American and Pacific Islander community continues to grow rapidly in the United States, and collectively we have many skills, talents, and unique perspectives that we can offer in service to our country. However, the White House Fellowship is just one way to join in.  With or without the title of White House Fellow, we need more young AAPI leaders to become engaged in public service so that we can amplify our skills and talents to serve all Americans.  Let’s each get involved and make community and public service part of the “traditional” journey for any AAPI.

For more information about the White House Fellowship, visit www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows . The deadline to apply this year is January 15, 2014.

Victor Yung-Tao Wu is a 2013-2014 White House Fellow.