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Portrait of Fred Korematsu

Fred Korematsu

(1919–2005) Human Rights Defender United States

27 quotes in 124 categories

Fred Korematsu was a human rights defender from the United States, best known for Preliminary report on race and Washington's criminal justice system.

Quick Facts About Fred Korematsu

Born: January 30, 1919
Died: March 30, 2005
Nationality: United States
Profession: Human Rights Defender
Notable works: Preliminary report on race and Washington's criminal justice system

About Fred Korematsu

Fred Toyosaburo Korematsu was an American civil rights activist who resisted the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Shortly after the Imperial Japanese Navy launched its attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized the removal of individuals of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast from their homes and their mandatory imprisonment in incarceration camps. Korematsu challenged the order and became a fugitive.

Biography source: Wikipedia

Awards & Honors

Presidential Medal of Freedom Four Freedoms Award – Freedom Medal

Quotes by Fred Korematsu

I was born in the U.S. This is my country.

Birth

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As long as my record stands in federal court, any American citizen can be held in prison or concentration camps without trial…

American citizen

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No one should ever be locked away simply because they share the same race, ethnicity, or religion as a spy or terrorist.…

Dangerous

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If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up

Fear

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I didn't think that the government would go as far as to include American citizens to be interned without a hearing.

American

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I lost everything when they put us in prison. I was an enemy alien, a man without a country.

Alien

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I was very upset because I did not have a fair trial to prove my loyalty to this country.

Country

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I don't even know how it is to have a home. I feel like an orphan or something.

Feel

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I was the third son, and the family tradition was my dad always favored the oldest child.

Always

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I was really upset because I was branded as an enemy alien when I'm an American.

Alien

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I was an American citizen, and I had as many rights as anyone else.

American

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I was just living my life, and that's what I wanted to do.

Life

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One person can make a difference, even if it takes forty years.

Even

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As a citizen of the United States, I am ready, willing, and able to bear arms for this country.

Bear

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It may take time to prove you're right, but you have to stick to it.

May

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During the curfew, whoever went out, the people were watching you. Any Japanese home, there was some person figuring he's a good…

American

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My folks were so worried about what they were going to do. All they can take was what they could carry with…

Building

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I'm Asian, so they assumed I'm not an American and that I come from Japan. Restaurants would refuse to serve me, and…

American

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All of them turned their backs on me at that time because they thought I was a troublemaker.

Because

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That was it - I lost my job... I was very discouraged. I wanted to be in defense work... I'm an American,…

American

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Every day in school, we said the pledge to the flag, 'with liberty and justice for all,' and I believed all that.

Day

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I still remember, 40 years ago, when I was shackled and put in prison... Being an American citizen didn't mean a thing.

American

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Before the war, my parents were very proud people. They'd always talk about Japan and also about the samurai and things like…

Good

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I thought what the military was doing was unconstitutional.

Military

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It takes a lot of money to hire an attorney.

Attorney

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