SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown issued a proclamation declaring Jan. 30 as Fred Korematsu Day.
Fred Korematsu was born on Jan. 30, 1919 in Oakland, Calif. He was a civil rights leader who refused to relocate under the Japanese-American internment policy during World War II. He was arrested for his defiance. The case reached the Supreme Court, which ruled against his case arguing that internment was necessary for military operations.
In 1983, a legal historian discovered documents that government intelligence agencies with held from the Supreme Court. The hidden documents proved that Japanese Americans did not commit acts of treason that would justify mass incarceration. After 40 years, documents on Korematsu’s case resurfaced. His conviction was overturned in federal court.
Korematsu continued to dedicate this life to activism. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010. Korematsu Day is the first day in the United States to be named after an Asian American. He died on March 30, 2005 at the age of 86.