Senate Bill 18 to officially designate January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day now heads to Gov. Whitmer’s desk
LANSING, Mich. (May 3, 2023) — Yesterday, the Michigan Senate finalized Senate Bill 18, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), which would officially designate January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day in the state of Michigan. An identical bill by Rep. Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy) was also considered in the House. Next, the Senate bill will be sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her signature into law.
“Heroes like Fred Korematsu need to be recognized because it takes an enormous amount of courage for any individual to stand up against and defy unjust and un-American policies targeting and seeking to exclude entire groups of people based on their ethnicity or country of origin,” said Sen. Chang. “Fred Korematsu’s determination to fight for justice and his faith in democratic principles and the Constitution exemplify some of the best qualities in Americans. I am honored that my bill passed the Senate with unanimous support yesterday and grateful for the partnership with Senator Sam Singh and Representative MacDonell to make this happen.”
Fred Korematsu was one of many American citizens of Japanese ancestry living on the west coast during World War II. In 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the incarceration of all Americans of Japanese ancestry, Fred Korematsu, aged 23, defied the government’s order to report to an assembly center to be moved to an internment camp and was arrested in May 1942. The decision in Korematsu v. United States first declared that his incarceration was justified, but in 1983 the U.S. District Court of Northern California overturned his conviction, in what is now considered a pivotal decision in civil rights history. In 1998, Fred Korematsu was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“I’m overjoyed that Michigan is one step closer to recognizing January 30th as Fred Korematsu Day,” said Rep. MacDonell, the sponsor of House Bill 4018. “Michiganders need to know Fred Korematsu’s story, as well as the stories of more than 110,000 Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II. I hope that Michiganders knowing the truth of this dark chapter in American history will ensure it never happens again.”
Fred Korematsu was a civil rights hero and should be honored for his determination and courage standing up for civil liberties. As a former Michigan resident, he is part of our state’s history as well as our nation’s, and it makes sense that the state would set aside a day to honor his sacrifices, determination, and legacy.
“I am excited that SB 18, establishing January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day, has officially gone to Governor Whitmer for her signature! When signed into law, Michigan will become the 7th state, joining California, Hawai’i, Virginia, Florida, New York City, Arizona, and New Jersey to recognize this day on January 30 of every year for his ‘contributions to civil liberties,’” said Dr. Karen Korematsu. “My father was an American civil rights hero who moved to Detroit, Michigan, after being released from the incarceration camp in Utah. For the rest of his life, he represented his community and championed free speech, social justice, and racial equality, and encouraged us all to ‘stand up for what is right.’
“I want to extend a special thanks to State Senator Stephanie Chang, and Representative Sharon MacDonell, as well as the bill cosponsors, for honoring my father and bringing Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution to the great state of Michigan.”
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