Office of the Arizona Governor Doug Ducey issued the following announcement on Jan. 29.
Governor Doug Ducey declared Sunday, January 30 Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution in honor of the World War Two internment camp survivor and his tireless commitment to equal justice under the law.
Governor Ducey last year signed legislation which calls for the observance of “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” each year on January 30, Korematsu’s birthday. The legislation was sponsored by Senator Sonny Borrelli and passed unanimously in both legislative chambers.
“Almost 40 years after his name was cleared, Fred Korematsu’s case remains an important lesson in perseverance, hope and liberty,” said Governor Ducey. “Here in our country, everyone has a right to equal justice under the law, and Fred Korematsu fought for it even when the cards were stacked against him. This law builds on the pillars of Arizona’s civics education by formally recognizing Korematsu and all that he and his case represent. Thank you to Senator Borrelli for sponsoring this bill and leading on this issue.”
President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942 issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the U.S. military to remove over 120,000 people of Japanese descent from their homes and force them into American internment camps throughout the country.
Fred Korematsu was just 23 years old when on May 30, 1942, he was arrested and convicted in federal court for ignoring the order. The court issued him five years of probation, and he was later sent to an internment camp in Topaz, Utah. Korematsu appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the court ruled against him, citing that the internment was made out of “military necessity.”
A pro bono legal team in 1983 reopened Korematsu’s case, which resulted in a federal judge overturning Korematsu’s conviction and clearing his name.
“Fred Korematsu’s story is inspiring, and it deserves statewide recognition,” said Senator Borrelli. “I’m grateful to my colleagues in the Legislature for coming together to unanimously pass this legislation that recognizes this injustice never happened again, and I thank the Governor for signing this into law and continuing to promote civics education in Arizona.”
Original source can be found here.
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