photos courtesy of the Borough Fort Lee
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fort Lee Nj, in a special ceremony at Borough Hall , Fort lee paid tribute to Civil Rights Leader and Pioneer Fred T. Korematsu. Korematsu believed that the United States’ decision to send Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War Two was racial discrimination and a violation of the Constitution.
On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, initiating a controversial World War II policy with lasting consequences for Japanese Americans. The document ordered the forced removal of resident “enemy aliens” from parts of the West vaguely identified as military areas.
Korematsu’s case challenging the orders, which resulted in his incarceration, failed at the Supreme Court in 1944. In 1981, documents were discovered that showed the government had suppressed evidence in its arguments before the court, which led to the vacating of Korematsu’s conviction in 1983. He then advocated for an apology and compensation for surviving internees. In 1998, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton.
Fort Lee has declared January 30th has been declared Fred T. Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.
Joining Fort Lee Councilmen Joseph Cervieri, Harvey Sohmer, Bryan Drumgoole and Councilwoman Ila Kasofsky at today’s ceremony were Mr. Tak Furumoto, Koji Sato, President of Japanese American Association of NY, Mako Yoshikoka, NJ Japanese American Association President and Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu and President & Founder of Fred Korematsu Foundation.
