Hirono Honors Fred Korematsu, Urges Continued Fight Against the Muslim Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono joined Karen Korematsu at an event in the Capitol to pay tribute to the life and work of her father Fred T. Korematsu. Hirono urged attendees to continue the fight against President Trump’s Muslim Ban. Her remarks accompanied a screening of a new film, “And Then They Came for Us.”

“Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Minoru Yasui fought the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and dedicated their lives to defending civil rights,” said Senator Hirono. “However, history can repeat itself if we are not vigilant, and these times call for our vigilance. This country is worth fighting for and I thank you for fighting for justice.”

Earlier this year, Senator Hirono joined Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) to introduce a resolution that commemorates January 30 as “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution” and denounces any effort to discriminate against any individual based on national origin or religion.

Last December, on the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Mr. Korematsu’s case, Senator Hirono also joined Senator Duckworth to announce the introduction of the Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act – a bill that prohibits any individual from being imprisoned or detained based solely upon a protected characteristic such as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. 

Last January, Senator Hirono joined 29 Senate Democrats in demanding that President Trump rescind his executive order establishing the Muslim Ban.