Fred Korematsu Day (January 30)
We commemorate civil rights hero Fred Korematsu with performances telling his story. The performance is part of the Clarendon Fred Korematsu Assembly, a whole-school event that celebrated the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution.
This event features Mr. Dale Minami, the lead attorney of Fred Korematsu’s legal team and a Clarendon parent, who speaks to children about his experiences working with Fred Korematsu and the importance of public civic engagement and participation.
Performance
Our 4th grade class has participated in a play highlighting the experiences of Fred Korematsu and the landmark Supreme Court decision that marked the United States formal recognition of the illegality of the wartime incarceration of thousands of families of Japanese descent, the vast majority of whom were US citizens. The play is shared with the whole school at our annual Fred Korematsu Civil Rights Assembly along with presentations from students in other JBBP upper grades classes.
The 2021-22 4th grade class managed to pull off their version of the play as well as Mr. Dale Minami’s interview session. Here is the program content for the video.
production
The play is produced by Junko Tanaka-sensei with help from dedicated volunteers and local activists, including the late social justice educator Greg Marutani, Dr. Karen Korematsu (Fred’s daughter, educator, and civil rights advocate), and Ms. Nell Noguchi (a civil rights advocate who has spoken about her own incarceration camp experience to the children). Ms. Tanaka has recently received the Elgin Heinz Award for her Japanese language instruction and her work with the Fred Korematsu play.
This event is supported by the principal, Mr. Peter Van Court, the Japanese curriculum coordinators, Ms. Yuka Hashimoto and Ms. Sophie Sorimachi, all the JBBP teachers, and the school social worker, Ms. Kait Bowles.