Note: This is the second of a two-part column. In 1951 Gordon Hirabayashi defended his doctoral thesis in sociology. His subject was the adaptation and status of the Doukhobors in British Columbia’s Slocan Valley. It was an intriguing choice of subject. Members of this sect of pacifist Christians from Russia, who believed in holding land […]
THE GREAT UNKNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN GREAT: The life and times of resister Gordon Hirabayashi (Part 2)
April 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment
THE GREAT UNKNOWN AND THE UNKNOWN GREAT: The life and times of resister Gordon Hirabayashi (Part 1 of 2)
April 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
As we remember the wartime removal of Japanese Americans, one outstanding figure to celebrate is Gordon Hirabayashi, a man of principle whose legal challenge to official injustice went all the way to the Supreme Court. Jeanne Sakata’s 2007 play “Dawn’s Light” has now brought Hirabayashi’s wartime tale exploits to countless audiences. However, there is a […]
LETTERS: Kudos for Korematsu Day coverage
February 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Dear Editor: Thank you for the excellent coverage of the first Fred T. Korematsu Day celebration at UC Berkeley on Jan. 30 … Kudos to Vivien Kim Thorp. Kathryn P. Korematsu San Leandro, Calif.
Alameda County supervisors’ proclamation honors Korematsu
February 11, 2011 by Leave a Comment
(Bay City News Service) — The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 25 approved a proclamation honoring Fred Korematsu, an Oakland native who was arrested in downtown San Leandro in 1942 for refusing to go to a concentration camp for Japanese Americans. The resolution coincided with a new California holiday called the Fred Korematsu […]
SF Board of Supes declare Jan. 30 Korematsu Day
February 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Jan. 25 passed a resolution unanimously declaring Jan. 30 Fred T. Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, “to commemorate the spirit and meaning of Fred Korematsu’s life, and the importance of preserving and protecting our civil rights and liberties, even in times of real or perceived […]
Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: Fred Korematsu finally gets his day
January 23, 2011 by 2 Comments
BERKELEY, Calif. — January 30 was the late Fred Korematsu’s birthday. The Oakland, Calif. native and civil rights icon would have turned 92. Often described as “humble,” he probably would have been surprised to find the Rev. Jesse Jackson and several hundred strangers celebrating in his honor. But Jan. 30 was the state of California’s […]
Korematsu Campus opens in San Leandro
October 21, 2010 by Leave a Comment
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — The San Leandro community gathered to celebrate the dedication of the new San Leandro High School Fred T. Korematsu (ninth grade) Campus on Sept. 29. More than 250 guests attended, including the current Board of Education and former Board members, elected officials, civic leaders, students and families, district staff, neighbors and […]
Bill to establish ‘Fred Korematsu Day’ passes Assembly Education Committee
May 20, 2010 by Leave a Comment
SACRAMENTO — Legislation that would recognize Jan. 30 as “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” passed the California state Assembly Education Committee on May 5. Jan. 30 is the birthday of the late civil rights icon, who passed away in 2005. Assembly Bill 1775, presented by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach), will […]
San Leandro School to Be Named for Civil Rights Icon Fred Korematsu
December 24, 2009 by Leave a Comment
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — San Leandro High School’s new freshman campus will be named after the late Fred T. Korematsu — who challenged orders to go to a World War II American concentration camp — following a unanimous vote by the school board. “I hope my father’s story will be an inspiration to high school […]
High School Could Be Named After Fred Korematsu
November 12, 2009 by Leave a Comment
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — A campaign has been launched to name San Leandro High School’s new ninth grade campus after the late Fred Korematsu — whose challenge of the forced relocation during World War II and efforts to throw out his wartime conviction decades later ultimately led to the Japanese American Redress Movement. Stephen Cassidy, […]
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