Study & Research America 1940-1949: Law and Justice

1919-
Korematsu v. United States (1944)

Horrible Wrong.

Fred Korematsu never wanted to be famous, and he never wanted to be convicted of a crime. But he was convicted of a crime, and his name will be forever associated in the annals of American justice with the wrong that can be done when basic safeguards of the Constitution are nullified for reasons of political or, as in Korematsu's case, military expediency.

Nisei.

Toyosaburo Korematsu was born in Oakland, California, in 1919. He was a Nisei, or first generation Japanese American, born in the United States. He picked up the name "Fred" one year in school when a teacher who had trouble pronouncing his name called him Fred. He liked the name and it stuck. Korematsu graduated from high school in 1938 and worked in the family flower nursery. In June 1941 Korematsu and five friends went to the local post office...
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