Korematsu Vs. the US

Learn about Korematsu v. US and Japanese internment.

Fred Korematsu's Story On December 7th, 1941 during the early point of WWII, Japan bombed the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. The next day, the U.S. declared war on Japan. Japan was capturing islands and territories throughout the Pacific Ocean, and the U.S. military was concerned about the safety of the west coast of the United States.Q1 How long after Pearl Harbor did the US declare war? 1 day 2 days 3 days Worried that people with Japanese ancestry might be loyal to Japan and become spies, the U.S. military issued an "executive order" for certain regions on the west coast. It required everyone with Japanese ancestry, even US citizens, to leave the area and live in a military controlled detention center. These centers were known as internment camps. Fred Korematsu, an American born citizen with Japanese parents, refused to relocate. He was arrested for violating the exclusive order.Q2 - Why would the gov. arrest anyone of Japanese ancestry? Religious differences They could be spies They were suspected of communism The ArgumentsKorematsu followed the same argument used a year earlier by a man of Japanese ancestry who had refused to obey curfew. The court upheld a curfew. Still Korematsu argued the new order was unconstitutional because it discriminated against people based on their race. He argued that the government violated the 5th Amendment, which says no person may be "deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of the law."Q3 How did Korematsu get arrested? He failed to enlist in the military He violated the curfew by the executive order The DecisionThe Supreme Court disagreed. In an earlier case, the Court has said that in normal circumstances racial discrimination is unconstitutional, but the situation during the war with Japan was different. The court pointed to evidence showing that some members of the Japanese community were disloyal. Because the military said it was impossible to single out the disloyal people, the Court said it was constitutional to isolate the whole group. "Korematsu was not excluded...because hostility to him or his race. He was excluded because we are at war with the Japanese Empire and our military authorities feared an invasion of the West Coast." The court refused to look -back with "the calm perspective of hindsight" and second-guess what the military did during a time of urgent threat.True or False Korematsu was arrested because the government couldn't be sure if he was a traitor. True False So What's the Point?This case meant that during wartime it was okay for the US government to violate people's civil rights just because they looked like the enemy. Fred Korematsu and many other American citizens were left in internment camps. The government did not apologize until 1988 when President Ronald Reagan signed a law that would issue a national apology and provide restitution payments to the Japanese Americans who were interned during WWII. Those restitution payments were about $20,000 per family.When were these citizens given an apology? 1950 1988 2001 George Takei on Living in the Internment Camps How old was George when he wen to the internment camp? A baby 4 8 Where did George and his family go first? A bus station Jail A horse stable Which two camps did George live in Rowhen Tule Lake Manazaar Could a Japanese man fight in the military Yes No What did everyone in the camps have to answer? A loyalty questionnaire A military order A survey of religion "Will you swear your loyalty to the United States of America and forswear your loyalty to the Japanese Emperor" What is the problem with this question The government thinks no one is loyal to the US The government assumes because you look Japanese you you are loyal to Japan The government thinks this is a way to find Japanese spies What is the problem with question 28 of the loyalty questionnaire? You always answer wrong You will not become a citizen