Karen Korematsu visits Japanese and Study of Visual Arts classes

Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Toyosaburō Korematsu of the landmark Korematsu v. United States case, visited Upper School students today and talked to Japanese 1 and Study of Visual Arts classes.

The Korematsu v. United States case took place when Fred Korematsu resisted the Japanese American draft into internment camps by Executive Order 9066. While Korematsu initially lost the case 6-3 at the Supreme Court level, the ruling was eventually overturned after evidence surfaced disproving the militaristic need for the internment. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton in 1998 for his actions.

Following the assembly in which she presented her father’s story along with Mary Beth Tinker and Frank LoMonte, Korematsu went to Pilar Aguero-Esparza’s Study of Visual Arts’ class and answered students’ questions as part of her visit to these classes.

“I realized […] that I’m lucky for what I have as an Asian American dealing with no discrimination because of my skin,” Vienna Wang (9) said. “Her father was really courageous to stand up and speak for himself and so many others.”

Fred Korematsu day can now be celebrated on Jan. 30 in California.

Gallery • 9 Photos

Kacey Fang

During third period, Karen Korematsu answers the questions of Japanese 1 and Study of Visual Arts students. The art students signed copies of their recent prints as a gift for Korematsu, who studied fine arts in college.