Japanese-American Internment Commemoration Event

Since its very foundation, our nation has grappled with the enduring question of whether, and to what extent, civil liberties can be stripped away in time of war. During World War II, the United States deprived Japanese-Americans of their constitutional rights, relocating them to internment camps for no reason other than their race.

 

Koji Fukumura—father of Emi ’17, Takeo ’20, and Akio ’25—is an award-winning litigator who will share his extensive knowledge about the Supreme Court decision, Korematsu v. United States, in which the Court neglected its role as protector of the Constitution, allowing the executive branch to move forward with its internment plan.

 

Bob Morikado—grandfather of Ethan ’21 and Logan ’22 Sanders—will recount the ordeal his family endured when everything was taken away from them.

 

Dan Norland will discuss the recently published Witnesses of the Unseen, which tells the story of two former detainees’ seven-year struggle to survive in Guantanamo as their lawyers argued and ultimately won in Boumediene v. Bush before the United States Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that the executive “cannot switch the Constitution on or off at will.”

 

Where the Korematsu Court had looked away, the Boumediene Court shone a light, albeit far too late. Together, Korematsu and Boumediene, and the people who lived them, illustrate both the human cost of fear-borne prejudice and the human capacity to hold fast to principle even when it is hard to do so. We are grateful to the San Diego Japanese American Historical Society and the Korematsu Institute for assisting with the planning of this event and for advancing the cause of justice.

 

This is a free event for the LJCDS and greater San Diego community. Refreshments will be served.