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TheFred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution is celebrated on January 30 in seven states (Arizona,California,Florida,Hawaii,Michigan,New Jersey andVirginia) andNew York City to commemorate the birthday ofFred Korematsu, a Japanese-Americancivil rights activist best known for resisting theinternment of Japanese Americans (seeKorematsu v. US). It also recognizes Americancivil liberties and rights under theConstitution of the United States. It is the first day in U.S. history named after anAsian American.
Legislation establishing Fred Korematsu Day was first signed into law by GovernorArnold Schwarzenegger of California on September 23, 2010,[1] after passing unanimously in both the State Assembly and Senate.[2]
It was first officially commemorated in 2011 at theUniversity of California, Berkeley.[3] Educational materials were also distributed to school teachers for classroom use.[4]
TheU.S. Commission on Civil Rights recommended that a national Fred Korematsu Day be established as a national holiday in 2015.[5][6]
In January 2023, the fight for a national Fred Korematsu Day continued with a resolution to establish a national Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution introduced in theUnited States Congress led by RepresentativesMark Takano andJill Tokuda in the U.S. House and SenatorsMazie Hirono andTammy Duckworth in the Senate.[7] A number of additional members of Congress made statements in support.[8]
Since passage in California, Fred Korematsu Day has also been recognized in additional jurisdictions.
The states ofHawaii[9] (2013),Virginia[10] (2015),Florida[11] (2016),Arizona[12] (2021), Michigan[13] (2023) andNew Jersey[14] (2023), as well asNew York City[15] (2018), have recognized Fred Korematsu Day in perpetuity by legislation.
Fred Korematsu Day was also celebrated inIllinois in 2014,[16] but it is not clear whether then-governorPat Quinn's proclamation extended past the year.Georgia,Pennsylvania, andUtah have also submitted resolutions honoring the day, while South Carolina has submitted a bill to their legislature.[17]
Google recognized Fred Korematsu Day in 2017 with aGoogle Doodle by artistSophie Diao, featuring a patriotic portrait of Korematsu wearing hisPresidential Medal of Freedom, a scene of the internment camps to his back, surrounded bycherry blossoms, flowers that have come to be symbols of peace and friendship between the US and Japan.[18]
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