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Not all Japanese Americans went quietly to Roosevelt's concentration camps during WW ll. Today, 1942, Fred Korematsu, the son of Japanese immigrants, was arrested for refusing to go. Arguing that his rights had been violated, Korematsu lost twice in court and was sentenced to 5 years' probation. Still undeterred, Korematsu went on a 40 year legal fight to clear his name. Said Korematsu: "I’m an American and just as long as I’m in this country I will keep on going and if there is a chance of reopening the case, I will do it." U.S. District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel overturned Fred Korematsu’s World War II conviction on November 10, 1983. Presiding in the same San Francisco courthouse where Korematsu was originally convicted, she vacated his conviction after discovering that government attorneys intentionally suppressed and falsified evidence of "military necessity."

On Jan. 30, 2011, the state of California celebrated Fred Korematsu Day, the first day named after an Asian American in the U.S., now recognized by six states. Below, Korematsu wearing his Medal of Freedom given to him in 1998 by President Bill Clinton.


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