Korematsu+v.+US+4th


 * =========Korematsu v. US= ========

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 the American public was suspicius of Japanese people and people of Japanese descent living on the West Coast. The Japanese Americans, both citizens and non-citizens, had close cultural ties to their home country. They often sent money back to family in Japan, and sent their children back to Japan for school. Some Americans believed that the people of Japanese descent who were living in America were helping their home land’s military. This suspician and fear lead to tension between the two cultures. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 on Febuary 19, 1942, which allowed military to enforce curfews for Japanese Americans and set up special camps for Japanese Americans to move into. These camps were mainly along the West Coast of the United States. They were only allowed to bring basic necessities, leaving their homes and businesses behind. Fred Korematsu was born in America but had Japanese parents. He didn’t want to move into the camps so he got facial surgery, changed his name, and claimed he was Mexican-American. He was arrested which working in the military shipyard and convicted of violating Exclusion Order no. 34 which banned people of Japanese descent from the military area of San Leandro, California. He challenged the government and said the relocation order was beyond the government's power and said it went against the constitution because the constitution prohibits discrimination based on race. The government said it was necessary to the war effort and that there was proof of espionage from the Japanese Americans and since they cannot tell which are loyal and which are disloyal that they must all be treated as if they were disloyal. The Federal Courts voted in favor of the U.S. with six out of nine votes against Korematsu. __Constitutional Significance __ The Order went against the constitution because the constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, as specifically stated in Amendment XIV of the Constitution. In Amendment XIV, it states “No state shall. . . deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” The president had taken away certain American’s rights without any evidence or even a case against them. He had only acted on fear and suspicion.

__ Precedent from Case __ In 1983 the commission formed to investigate the camps put out the Personal Justice Denied report, which deemed internment camps racist and unneeded. Millions of dollars were given continuously to families of the ordeal for many years after the camps ended. The legacy of the camps is a reminder of how American people’s right s are to be protected, no matter their race.

__Important Content/Terms__

Racism- after the case the commision assigned to investigate the case stated that the Interment camps were fueled by racism more than just being security measures. Pearl Harbor- After a suprising and scary time for the general American public, they wanted proof that the government was trying to take action for their protection. This pressured the government to limit Japanese American's liberties.

By: Angie Door and Ashley Stafford ||