Enduring Conviction: Fred Korematsu and His Quest for Justice
Fred Korematsu's decision to resist F.D.R.'s Executive Order 9066, which provided authority for the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, was initially the case of a young man following his heart: he wanted to remain in California with his white fiancée. However, he quickly came to realize that it was more than just a personal choice; it was a matter of basic human rights.
After refusing to leave for incarceration when ordered, Korematsu was eventually arrested and convicted of a federal crime before being sent to the internment camp at Topaz, Utah.
He appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court, which, in one of the most infamous cases in American legal history, upheld the wartime orders. Forty years later, in the early 1980s, a team of young attorneys resurrected Korematsu's case. This time, Korematsu was victorious, and his conviction was overturned, helping to pave the way for Japanese American redress.
Lorraine Bannai, who was a young attorney on that legal team, combines insider knowledge of the case with extensive archival research, personal letters, and unprecedented access to Korematsu his family, and close friends. She uncovers the inspiring story of a humble, soft-spoken man who fought tirelessly against human rights abuses long after he was exonerated. In 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded Korematsu the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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"Excellent. . . . In Enduring Conviction, [Lorraine Bannai] skillfully weaves the story of the landmark court case with Fred's personal journey. . . . Her elegant telling of the story of the incarceration and Fred Korematsu's fight against it could not be more timely. . . . Hopefully, the inspiration provided by Fred Korematsu may be an even more enduring response to injustice."
--Elaine Elinson "Los Angeles Review of Books""Enduring Conviction shows how politics and racial prejudice can conspire to trample the civil rights of an entire racial group during a time of war, based on fabricated claims of military necessity. . . . Bannai's volume is a worthwhile read for those interested in learning about some of the worst events and court rulings in American history, and serves as a reminder that the constitutional rights of American citizens should also be safeguarded during times of war, and in the darkest times of American history."
--Harvey Gee "Asian American Policy Review"
