Assemblyman Umba’s “Fred Korematsu Day” Resolution Passes Both Houses

TRENTON— Assembly Joint Resolution 98, officially designating January 30th of each year as “Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution of NJ”, has passed both the New Jersey Senate and Assembly and now awaits Governor Phil Murphy’s expected signature.

Assemblyman Brandon Umba (R-Medford), a prime sponsor of the bill and member of the Asian American and Pacific Islander caucus, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to highlight Korematsu’s story and the unjust internment of Japanese Americans during the Second World War.

“Mr. Korematsu, like many Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor, was denied employment and selective service eligibility for the United States military because of his ethnicity. He was ridiculed and treated as a domestic spy simply for his heritage and zeal for serving his country,” Umba said.

When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt authorized the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent under Civilian Exclusion Order No. 34, Korematsu resisted being shipped off to an incarceration camp and was imprisoned for violating the order.

Fred Korematsu attempted to resume an ordinary American life following World War II and the release of all Japanese Americans from incarceration camps, but his conviction prevented his employment.

It was not until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1988 that the government officially disapproved of Civilian Exclusion Order No. 34 and acknowledged the grave injustice done to Japanese American civilians.

“This resolution honors Fred Korematsu’s lifelong commitment to equal justice under the law and recognizes the hardships of the internment camps. Now that it’s law, ‘Fred Korematsu Day’ will be observed in New Jersey on his birthday every year,” Umba said.

“As the great-grandson of a WWII veteran who overcame similar prejudice in service of his country, I am honored to have been able to sponsor this bi-partisan resolution memorializing Mr. Korematsu,” Umba continued. “I thank Assemblyman Mukherji, Assemblyman Verrelli and Senator Lagana for their leadership in helping bring light to his story and hard-fought struggle for justice.”

Six other states currently recognize “Fred Korematsu Day” in perpetuity under law, according to the Korematsu Institute, a national education advocacy organization committed to promoting civic participation and civil rights.

TEXT OF ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION 98