Varghese & Associates, P.C.
Courageous Defense | Creative Solutions | Results
(212) 430-6469
  • Home
  • Results
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our Core Values, Mission, Vision, & Mandate
  • Practice Areas
    • NYC Criminal Lawyer
      • NYC Federal Criminal Lawyer
      • NYC Appeals Lawyer
      • White Collar Criminal Defense And Investigations
      • Financial Crimes
      • Criminal Civil Asset Forfeiture
      • Sex Crimes and Internet Crimes
      • Drug Charges
      • Investigations
      • Title IX & College Disciplinary Proceedings
      • Violent Crimes
      • Family Offense Proceedings
      • Juvenile Crimes
      • Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO)
    • White Collar Criminal Defense And Investigations
    • NYC Appeals Lawyer: Appeals And Post Conviction Motions
    • NYC Title IX Lawyer: Representation for Title IX & College Disciplinary Proceedings
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Media & Press
    • Media Appearances
    • Legal Minute with Vinoo Varghese
    • Media Recaps
  • Careers
    • Wall Street Criminal Defense Litigation Chair
    • Wall Street Criminal Defense Associate
    • Wall Street Criminal Defense Entry-Level Associate
    • Wall Street Criminal Defense Executive Personal Assistant
    • Wall Street Criminal Defense Legal Receptionist
    • Wall Street Criminal Defense Internship
    • Wall Street Criminal Defense Digital Marketing Internship
  • Contact Us
January 30 2019

Not Giving Up: Fred Korematsu Lives On

Varghese & Associates, P.C. Firm News

Today is the Fred T. Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. Tonight, at NYCLA’s Andrew Hamilton Hall, our principal, Vinoo Varghese, along with fellow members of the Asian American Bar Association of New York (AABANY) will be honoring Mr. Korematsu by reenacting the story of Korematsu v. United States. This was the 1944 U.S. Supreme Court decision that said that imprisoning 120,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II was fine under the Constitution. Mr. Korematsu was jailed for opposing President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s imprisonment order.

While Mr. Korematsu lost in the Supreme Court in 1944, he and those who supported him didn’t give up fighting.  In the early 1980s, a group of dedicated professors and lawyers discovered that the government in 1944 had deliberately misled the U.S. Supreme Court by withholding reports that Japanese-Americans posed no security threat.  Due to this startling revelation, which the government conceded, The Honorable Marilyn Hall Patel of the Northern District of California vacated his conviction in 1983.  This did not, however, overturn the centerpiece of the 1944 Supreme Court decision-that the President had the authority to jail Americans solely on account of race.In 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded Mr. Korematsu the Presidential Medal of Freedom.  He died seven years later.  To commemorate Mr. Korematsu’s birthday, on January 30, 2011, California under then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger became the first state to observe the annual Fred T. Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and theConstitution.  In 2017, New York City passed a resolution to honor Mr. Korematsu today, his birthday.

Last year, when the Supreme Court upheld President Trump’s Travel Ban in Trump v. Hawaii, it for the first time saidKorematsu v. United States was decided wrongly. Chief Justice Roberts declared “[t]he forcible relocation of U.S. citizens to concentration camps, solely and explicitly on the basis of race, is objectively unlawful and outside the scope of presidential authority…Korematsu was gravely wrong the day it was decided, has been overruled in the court of history, and – to be clear – ‘has no place in law under the Constitution.’”

Vinoo Varghese standing alongside Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu
Vinoo Varghese standing alongside Karen Korematsu, daughter of Fred Korematsu

For the past 12 years, Vinoo has been part of a team from AABANY that has put on various historical reenactments under the tutelage of The Honorable Denny Chin of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and his wife, Kathy Chin. Also participating tonight will be The Honorable Kiyo Matsumoto of the Eastern District of New York and The Honorable Ona T. Wang of the Southern District of New York.

The AABANY cast of Fred Korematsu and His Fight for Justice
The AABANY cast of Fred Korematsu and His Fight for Justice
Why O.J. Simpson Should Still Be Killing Time in Prison Judge Upholds Conviction in Karina Vetrano’s Murder, Despite Lone Juror’s Claim It Was Tainted

Related Posts

Vinoo Varghese Teaching at Harvard Law School

Firm News

Vinoo returns to teach at Harvard Law School

Supreme Court Filing

Firm News

We Filed an Emergency Application in the U.S. Supreme Court for NYC Teachers Opposing Vaccine Mandates

Randy Ng's Case Dismissed

Firm News

Client’s Case Dismissed – Quoted in the New York Times

Varghese & Associates, P.C.
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.