Senate Resolution 1004 Summary

• Honors Fred T. Korematsu, an American citizen of Japanese descent who challenged Executive Order 9066 requiring Japanese American internment during World War II.

• Recognizes that approximately 120,000 people of Japanese descent, two-thirds American citizens, were removed from their homes; Arizona held about 31,000 internees across two camps (Colorado River and Gila River Relocation Centers).

• Acknowledges Korematsu refused to comply with internment orders, was convicted, and appealed to the Supreme Court, which voted 6-3 upholding the internment based on "military necessity" in Korematsu v. United States.

• Notes that Korematsu's 1944 conviction was overturned in 1983 after evidence emerged that the U.S. Solicitor General intentionally withheld military intelligence reports showing Japanese Americans had committed no wrongdoing.

• Commends Korematsu for dedicating his remaining life to protecting civil liberties for all Americans and for his legacy of teaching citizens to speak up against injustice.