Fred T. Korematsu Institute

Fred T. Korematsu Institute The Korematsu Institute educates to advance racial equity, social justice, and human rights for all. http://korematsuinstitute.org
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The camp at Minidoka held 13,000 Japanese Americans, mostly from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, during WWII. Not one ha...
08/13/2026

The camp at Minidoka held 13,000 Japanese Americans, mostly from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, during WWII. Not one had the benefit of due process or had been convicted of a crime. Run as a War Relocation Authority site from 1942 to 1945, In 2001, Minidoka became a national historic site in 2001. A new documentary project, "Echoes of Minidoka," produced by KTVB, debuted this week. It examines the site's history, the experiences of the incarcerees, and interviews with Japanese American survivors. Watch on KTVB here: https://tinyurl.com/tvzfudeu

Later this month, Dr. Karen Korematsu will join other leaders — like Alanah Odoms, Darrick Hamilton, Manuel Pastor, Mia ...
08/13/2026

Later this month, Dr. Karen Korematsu will join other leaders — like Alanah Odoms, Darrick Hamilton, Manuel Pastor, Mia Birdsong, Srita Gupta, Saru Jayaraman, and Trista Harris —shaping the next chapter of our democracy at the 2026 (August 24-28, 2026). Register or learn more about the Summit, the after-party performance by Jon Batiste, and the world premiere of the PolicyLink Democracy Concerto here: https://tinyurl.com/mwuzf7av

“Advocacy is not an experience you only have in college. This is the training ground and practice for your future. Conti...
08/12/2026

“Advocacy is not an experience you only have in college. This is the training ground and practice for your future. Continue to build effective allyship skills and solidarity that work toward creating more equitable and inclusive experiences. Today, as you receive your well-earned degree, remember that knowledge is power. You have the power to make a difference.” - Dr. Karen Korematsu, Haversford Commencement Keynote, 2022

How can you be an advocate? It may seem daunting, but once you have identified a cause you are passionate about, there are many things you can do to support it, from voting to volunteering to calling your local legislator. Find some things you can do to advocate now for issues that are important to you with our “Five Simple Steps to be An Advocate” developed in honor of on January 30!

  Catch our thoughtful, virtual conversation between Dr. Karen Korematsu and the "Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian Ameri...
08/12/2026

Catch our thoughtful, virtual conversation between Dr. Karen Korematsu and the "Auntie Kristina's Guide to Asian American Activism" author (and performance artist & activist) Kristina Wong, on the importance of and self-care, intersectionality, and making the change you want to see in the world. Watch here: https://korematsuinstitute.org/kristina-wong/

"It took a long time for many Japanese Americans to talk about the camps-the memories were too painful, the divi­sions c...
08/11/2026

"It took a long time for many Japanese Americans to talk about the camps-the memories were too painful, the divi­sions caused within the community, even families, too deep. When they began speaking out, it was to ensure that such a travesty of justice would not happen again."

This week was the anniversary of the of 1988, which provided an apology and redress to the 60,000 remaining survivors of the Japanese American Incarceration. Later this month, Rocky Mountain PBS and the Museum of Western Colorado presents The Friends of the Topaz Museum’s "Topaz Stories: Remembering the Japanese American Incarceration," a Utah Arts & Museums Traveling Exhibition. Learn more here: https://www.rmpbs.org/events/rmpbs-topaz-stories-museum-western-colorado

Funding for education and advocacy nonprofits is at risk. History is being marginalized and erased. Teachers in classroo...
08/11/2026

Funding for education and advocacy nonprofits is at risk. History is being marginalized and erased. Teachers in classrooms around the country face book bans and potential job loss for sharing crucial parts of our American story. You may wonder what impact you can make and what you can do to ensure that organizations like the Fred T. Korematsu Institute can continue their impactful work. You can join our community of supporters with a tax-deductible gift. And a monthly gift of support provides a steady income stream, which will help KI's budgeting and future planning when creating educator resources like our digital toolkits for teachers (15K distributed to date!) or creating curriculum, and supporting AANHPI education in all fifty states, or bringing our national traveling exhibit, "AM I AN AMERICAN OR AM I NOT?" to communities around the country. Request a KI Toolkit on our Education page on the KI website: https://korematsuinstitute.org/education-2/
Want to help us get the next 15,000 toolkits into teachers' hands? Make a donation to KI here: https://givebutter.com/vzXYVh

“In ‘Sadako Reimagined,’ I tell a new version of her story: a young Sadako in a kimono, arms extended in a joyful, open ...
08/10/2026

“In ‘Sadako Reimagined,’ I tell a new version of her story: a young Sadako in a kimono, arms extended in a joyful, open gesture, her sleeves unfolding like wings. The sculpture suggests flight, joy and resilience.”

In 2024, in Seattle, the statue of Sadako Sasaki, a symbol of hope and peace against the spectre of nuclear war, was desecrated, cut at the ankles, and stolen. The Sadako Renewal Project raised funds to replace the statue with a new piece designed for public interaction and to dedicate “Sadako: Reimagined” on Aug. 6, 2027. Learn more about the work here: https://tinyurl.com/yhvmnve7

"The legislation that I am about to sign provides for a restitution payment to each of the 60,000 surviving Japanese-Ame...
08/10/2026

"The legislation that I am about to sign provides for a restitution payment to each of the 60,000 surviving Japanese-Americans of the 120,000 who were relocated or detained. Yet no payment can make up for those lost years. So, what is most important in this bill has less to do with property than with honor. For here we admit a wrong; here we reaffirm our commitment as a nation to equal justice under the law." - President Ronald Reagan, Remarks on Signing the Bill

the of 1988 was signed into law by President Reagan, providing an apology and redress to the 60,000 remaining survivors of the Japanese American Incarceration 43 years after the war. Learn more about the work behind the scenes to pass the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 in "Redress and Reparations for Japanese American Incarceration" at The National WWII Museum here: https://tinyurl.com/5arvxjnn
Read President Reagan's full remarks here: https://tinyurl.com/mtf2xfsj

“There are more than 12,000 nuclear weapons globally. There is a possibility that everyone could be a victim of an atomi...
08/09/2026

“There are more than 12,000 nuclear weapons globally. There is a possibility that everyone could be a victim of an atomic bomb."

in 1945, Nagasaki became the second city in history to be devastated by an atomic bomb. Student activist Suzuka Nakamura, who grew up in the city, is working to educate the next generation and create a world without nuclear weapons. She hopes to create a mobile museum to share the first-hand accounts of the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) for people outside of Japan to learn the true impact of nuclear weapons. "No one should be a hibakusha." Listen to Suzuka Nakamura discuss "Designing a World without Nuclear Weapons" here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c27kknNcK1M

What does a world without nuclear weapons mean to you? Today marks the 81st anniversary of the bombing of the city of Na...
08/09/2026

What does a world without nuclear weapons mean to you? Today marks the 81st anniversary of the bombing of the city of Nagasaki in 1945. You can join KI and take part in the campaign, which runs from August 6-9 every year, honoring the grim anniversaries of the bombings of and . Show your support, make your own origami crane, and learn more about how you can take part in advocating for a world without nuclear weapons here: https://cranesforourfuture.org

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