Interview Transcripts
Ms. Karen Korematsu
Daughter of Fred Korematsu
Co-founder and Executive Director of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute "2/3 of the 120,000 people that were incarcerated were American citizens and their due process was totally stripped away. We have under the 4th and 14th amendment these rights. Since it was a military necessity there were no charges, no day in court, no access to an attorney, and no hearings. That’s wrong for this country. Even in times of war we need to be mindful of our Constitution and our amendments."
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Mr. Evan GoldbergEducation Manager of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute
"Beyond that, Korematsu v. United States is an example of America’s strength. When Professor Irons found the “smoking gun” memo near the top of the files at the National Archives, a chain of events unfolded to expunging the conviction; clearing the names of Japanese-Americans; which led to reparations and a small degree of redemption. While we don’t always get things right the first time, I’m glad there is a deeper sense of justice that allows us to correct the errors of our ways."
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Professor Ann PiccardStetson University College of Law
"An executive order from the President is not usually overruled by the Supreme Court since there is a balance in the three branches of government. They’re supposed to be on the same level. Without the Constitution, there would be no President and no Congress. Does the Constitution give the government the right to imprison people based on their ancestry? I would say no. How did they decide who to imprison? Anyone who looked vaguely Japanese? That’s clearly unconstitutional."
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