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Council names Jan. 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution
Summary
The City Council unanimously approved a resolution recognizing Jan. 30 as Fred Korematsu Day, honoring the civil‑rights legacy of the Japanese‑American activist and the broader history of wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. The council cited local ties and the Korematsu Center at UC Irvine.
The Irvine City Council adopted a resolution on Oct. 14 recognizing Jan. 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.
Council member Tresita introduced the measure and noted Korematsu’s 1942 legal challenge to the U.S. government’s wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans; Professor Robert Chang of the Fred T. Korematsu Center at UCI Law and community commissioners spoke in support. The council cited the historic injustice, Korematsu’s later exoneration following discovery of concealed government documents, and the continuing lessons about civil liberties and due process.
Council approved the resolution 7–0. Supporters said the recognition is appropriate given Irvine’s local historical ties and as an educational reminder of civil‑rights principles. The city will mark Jan. 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.
