Fred Korematsu’s Story Highlights Current Civil Injustice. 

Fred Korematsu fought for his constitutional rights in 1942 in the hope to prevent what is happening today

BRISTOL, R.I. – On Jan. 30, the Roger Williams University Co-Lab hosted an event called “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.” This highlighted why a day of recognition for minorities in Rhode Island is important, alongside how Korematsu’s legacy matters, even decades later.

Fred Korematsu was an American civil rights activist who resisted the detention of Japanese Americans during World War II. In 1942, at 23 years old, Korematsu refused to go to an incarceration camp and was then arrested and convicted of “defying a government order.” He appealed his case that eventually made its way up to the Supreme Court and is now considered a landmark case.

Following his case being taken up to the Supreme Court, he and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the constitutionality of his conviction. The Supreme Court ruled against him in 1944, claiming his conviction was “military necessity.” In 1983, a federal court cleared his name after evidence emerged that the government had suppressed information about the lack of military necessity for the conviction.

Korematsu’s story provides us with what it means to be resilient, strong, and dependable. Instead of accepting his conviction, he was consistent in finding any and every angle to make it clear that he will fight until he makes a difference for others, not just himself. It is even more important decades later, as we are experiencing similar types of racial inequality. 

It was Korematsu’s hope that this act in 1942 would prevent further racial discrimination and protect future generations of Asian-Americans from similar experiences. Unfortunately, similar acts of racial discrimination have continued to prevail in America. 

Today, 84 years later, the federal government is using excessive force towards immigrants and minority communities. 622,000 immigrants have been forcefully deported from the United States. Rhode Island State Senator Linda Ujifusa said, “It is important to look back in history and see how other people dealt with these things successfully and to be inspired by their resistance.”

Jeanie Soloman, the Founder and Executive Director of AAPI History Museum, discussed the risks that arise when Americans ignore the warnings that are apparent in Koreasmatsu’s story. “This is our current history. It’s very important to not look at the event or the day as one event. The same thing is happening a lot. The attack on immigration/refugees and in Minnesota, years ago it was 9/11.” She said, “I want people to take a step back to look at this and think of this as a pattern.”

Dr. Karen Korematsu–the founder of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute and Fred Korematsu’s daughter–encouraged the younger generations to learn their constitutional rights and educate themselves on their civil liberties. She also premised that people do make a difference, completing petitions, peacefully protesting, and writing letters to government officials are all helpful ways to try to protect the rights of immigrants. 

His experience acts as a warning for fear-driven policies. According to the Smithsonian, the decision is now criticized as a grave mistake and a cautionary example of how fear can override constitutional rights. 

The government tried to scare Americans into believing Japanese Americans were dangerous and deserved to be in incarceration camps. This is similar to what is happening in today’s world, the government is attempting to paint immigrants as threatening criminals who have no place in the United States.

“General Americans tend to gravitate toward fear, this is a very human element,” Solomon said. “On so many levels, we have to resist the fear and gravitate toward safety and over individuality and civil liberty. There are so many different types of fear, one type of fear is from not knowing.”

A lot of what happened to Korematsu and what is happening to immigrants today originates from a spread of misinformation and stereotypes. Many of the speakers at the Korematsu event recognized how pressing it is to prevent that spread. “When a group of people are invisible and don’t have a lot of information on them, people gravitate and want to learn more,” Solomon said. “When that information is not available, misinformation and stereotypes fill the gap.”

This is especially pressing in the Asian-American community, whose percentage in Rhode Island is 3.48 percent. With such a small community in the smallest state, the information regarding the race can constantly get misconstrued, hence why events like Fred Korematsu Day can make such a large impact. The more people who try to gain knowledge and try to educate themselves on the struggles of other communities, the more people who can spread awareness and understanding. 

R.I. Government officials note that there needs to be more support from the government in protecting individual civil rights. “We take a really proactive stance on the governor’s side of the house. The executive branch has a role to play in protecting civil rights and we take that seriously,” said Jeremy Chiappetta, Senior Advisor to R.I Governor Dan McKee.

Korematsu’s story also highlights the need for politicians to speak out and lend a helping hand to getting more stories like his heard. Senator Ujifusa noted, “It is really important for elected officials to step up and I hope that I can be of help in that effort in Rhode Island.” 

Fred Korematsu’s resilience and determination are a reminder to tell your story and make yourself heard, regardless of obstacles that stand in your way. “Storytelling plays a very big role as we are all individual people,” said Paige Morris, the President of the RWU Asian American Alliance. “We all have our own stories to tell to the world and I think it fails sometimes when those stories get misconstrued, whether that’s intentional or not, it can happen.”

Event:

The Fred Korematsu event at Roger Williams University was aimed at bringing awareness to civil injustices and encouragement to speak up, and that is just what it did. 

The event was held on the bottom floor of the University’s humanities building midday on a sunny Friday. During the event, there were speeches from Fred Korematsu’s daughter herself who spoke via Zoom, as well as the senior advisor to the governor. The event also welcomed a representative and senator of the state, and an RWU law professor. 

The event also hosted a screening of the film Of Civil Wrongs & Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story, (2000) directed by Eric Paul Fournier. It was a shorter, 24-minute version of the film. It went into more detail about Korematsu’s story, and even featured descriptions from himself, of what was going on in his life at the time.

There was a panel Q&A at the end with the presidents and founders of different organizations helping to stop Asian-American hate and celebrate the incredible culture. 

These organizations are the Japan-American Society, the Black Ships Festival of Rhode Island, Inc, the RWU Asian American Alliance, and the AAPI History Museum.

Written by: Kate Tortollini, Robert Rood, Elizabeth Chant

Copy-Editors: Elizabeth Chant, Brianna Frissora

Photographers: Edith Hills, Michelle Stiber, Sarah Price

Videographers: Ray Hardy, Alex Tavaglioni, Brenna Medeiros

Reporters: Alexa Benson-Amarante. Roslyn IaDeRosa, McKalah Gaine