The Fred T. Korematsu Institute

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute (KI) is a national education advocacy organization committed to promoting civic participation and education to advance racial equity, social justice, and human rights for all. Through our educational programs, media and exhibits, and speaking engagements, we inspire people and organizations to, as Fred said, “stand up for what is right.” Executive Director Karen Korematsu founded the Fred T. Korematsu Institute in 2009 to honor her father’s legacy. Originally a local community and education program, KI expanded its vision in 2010 as a result of Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution being established in California. We carry on Fred Korematsu’s legacy and educate to fight for the social justice and racial equality we urgently need today. In its work, KI bridges the Fred Korematsu story with various topics in history including other civil rights heroes and movements, the Constitution, global environmental and human rights, and Asian American history. KI makes connections to present-day civil rights discrimination and political scapegoating such as mass incarceration, anti-immigrant sentiment, and Islamophobia. Our work now remains as vital as ever before. In 2022, our work includes: • Producing our national virtual and traveling photography exhibit, 'Then They Came for Me', exploring the WWII Japanese American incarceration and its relevance today, • Developing our in-person educator workshops in Arizona to create K-12 lesson plans about Gila River and Posten, the Arizona confinement sites and their connection to local Native American history, • Remastering the two-time Emmy-award winning documentary, Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story so it can be shown to educators and students on streaming platforms, and • Educating students, educators and the public through a project with the Asian and Pacific Islander Health Forum (APIAHF) engaging AANHPI communities in COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations