On November 10th, 1983, in the same courthouse where he had first received his conviction, Judge Marilyn Patel overturned Korematsu’s original conviction.
In 1988, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, which issued an official apology for the unjust internment of Japanese and Japanese-Americans, issued a $20,000 reparation for those affected, and began an education fund (Costanzo, 2023).
Ten years later, Korematsu was also presented with the Medal of Freedom, which is one of the highest honors a citizen can receive in the United States. President Clinton praised him, saying, “An American who wanted only to be treated like every other American, Fred Korematsu challenged our nation's conscience, reminding us that we must uphold the rights of our own citizens even as we fight tyranny in other lands… Fred Korematsu deserves our respect and thanks for his patient pursuit to preserve the civil liberties we hold dear” (L.A. Times Archives, 2005).
In 2018, while considering the case Trump v Hawaii, the Supreme Court essentially overturned the precedent set by Korematsu, with Chief Justice John Roberts saying, “Korematsu was gravely wrong the day it was decided, has been overruled in the court of history, and—to be clear—‘has no place in law under the Constitution” (NCC Staff, 2023).
Trump versus Hawaii is a whole different can of worms that we will open some other day
Bibliography:
Costanzo, Katherine, and Nicholas J. Dilley (2023, February 24). Apologies and Forgiveness for Executive Order 9066 – February Historical Events. National Archives. https://reagan.blogs.archives.gov/2023/02/24/apologies-and-forgiveness-for-executive-order-9066-february-historical-events.
Facts and Case Summary — Korematsu v. U.S. (n.d.). United States Courts. https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/annual-observances.
Hinnershitz, Stephanie. (2024, November 7). Korematsu v. United States: 80 Years Later. The National WWII Museum. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/korematsu-v-united-states.
L.A. Times Archives. (2005, April 1). Fred Korematsu ‘Stood Strong Against Anti-Asian Prejudice in the U.S. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-apr-01-oe-korematsu1-story.html.
National Park Service. (2023, July 7). Fred T. Korematsu. Golden Gate National Recreation Area. https://www.nps.gov/people/fred-t-korematsu.htm.
NCC Staff. (2023, December 18). On this Day, the Supreme Court Issues the Korematsu Decision. National Constitution Center. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this-day-the-supreme-court-issues-the-korematsu-decision.
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