Historic Gathering of Civil Rights Heroes at Fred Korematsu Day Heroes Celebration in San Francisco on January 27, 2013

The Korematsu Institute is celebrating Fred Korematsu Day 2013 at the Fred Korematsu Day Heroes Celebration at the Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco, CA, on Sunday, January 27, 2013. This will be a historic gathering of Asian American and Pacific Islander civil rights heroes and the descendants of heroes who have passed on. The event also features celebrity emcee Danny Glover, as well as a special performance by American Idol star Jasmine Trias.

Fred Korematsu Day Heroes Celebration Honorees:
Fred Korematsu: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII internment of Japanese Americans. Karen Korematsu will represent her father at the event.
Grace Lee Boggs: Chinese American grassroots activist for pan-ethnic social justice movements. Unfortunately, Ms. Boggs is unable to attend the event.
Mitsuye Endo: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. Wayne Tsutsumi and Wendy Weiner will represent their mother at the event.
Filipino World War II Veterans: Filipino soldiers who fought for the US against Japanese forces during WWII but were later denied US military benefits. Veteran Alberto Saldajeno will represent this honoree group at the event.
Gordon Hirabayashi: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. Jay Hirabayashi will represent his father at the event.
Internment Dissenters: “No Nos,” draft resisters, and renunciants who challenged the WWII incarceration and mistreatment of Japanese Americans. “No-No” Hiroshi Kashiwagi will represent this honoree group at the event.
Larry Itliong: Filipino American organizer and coalition builder in California’s farm labor movement. Johnny Itliong will represent his father at the event.
Japanese American World War II Veterans: Soldiers who fought bravely in segregated WWII military units in the face of racism at home. Veteran Asa Hanamoto will represent this honoree group at the event.
Yuri Kochiyama: Japanese American grassroots activist for pan-ethnic social justice movements. Audee Kochiyama Holman will represent her mother at the event.
Queen Lili’uokalani: Last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii and advocate for Hawaiian sovereignty. Unfortunately, relatives of the Queen are unable to attend the event.
Dollar Store Strikers: Women labor activists who launched one of the longest-running strikes in San Francisco’s Chinatown’s history. Mervyn Lee, son of striker Sue Koh Lee, will represent this honoree group at the event.
Mamie Tape: Chinese American child plaintiff in landmark case reinforcing equal access to education. Alisa Kim will represent her aunt at the event.
Bhagat Singh Thind: Sikh American plaintiff in US Supreme Court case examining race-based citizenship. David Bhagat Thind will represent his father at the event.
Philip Vera Cruz: Filipino American founding member of the United Farm Workers and defender of workers’ rights. Fernando Gapasin will represent his uncle at the event.
Wong Kim Ark: Chinese American plaintiff in US Supreme Court case affirming birthright citizenship. Unfortunately, the Wong family has not confirmed if they plan to attend the event.
Min Yasui: US Supreme Court plaintiff who challenged the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. Serena Hawkins-Schletzbaum and Chani Hawkins-Walker will represent their grandfather at the event.

When: Sunday, January 27, 2013, 1:00pm VIP reception with honorees, 2:30-4:30pm program
Where: Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102

Tickets: Available for purchase at http://bit.ly/kdayheroestix
$100 VIP reception with honorees + program admission
$25 program general admission
$10 senior (65+)/student/youth (under 18) admission
If you are a Filipino WWII veteran, Japanese American WWII veteran, Internment Dissenter, or Dollar Store Striker wishing to attend, please call us to request complimentary tickets.
More info: Call 415-848-7737
Web site: www.FredKorematsuDayHeroes.org

ABOUT FRED KOREMATSU DAY
Fred Korematsu Day is the first day in US history named after an Asian American. In 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB1775, creating “Fred Korematsu Day” as a permanent day of special significance, when schools around the state are encouraged to teach Mr. Korematsu’s story and protect the civil liberties of all people. Fred Korematsu Day is celebrated every January 30, on Mr. Korematsu’s birthday. In May 2012, the governor of Hawaii declared January 30, 2013 as Fred Korematsu Day in Hawaii. There are multiple events planned in Honolulu on January 30, 2013, including an appearance by Governor Abercrombie. On January 18, 2013, Utah Governor Gary Herbert declared January 30, 2013 as Fred Korematsu Day in Utah, the state where Mr. Korematsu was interned during World War II. This Fred Korematsu Day 2013 season, there are some 25 events taking place in 10 states in January and February.

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education is dedicated to advancing pan-ethnic civil and human rights through education. Founded in the name of the late civil rights hero Fred Korematsu, the Korematsu Institute develops and distributes FREE curriculum to teachers around the country. Teachers can sign up for kits at http://bit.ly/korematsucurriculum. The Institute organizes community and school events nationwide to commemorate Fred Korematsu Day. For more information, visit www.KorematsuInstitute.org.

Transcending: the Wat Misaka Story,The 90th Minute, Jesse Owens, In Her Corner, Blind Ambition & Black Power Salute in 3rd Annual RightsFest at Tribeca Cinemas, September 6-8, 2012

The Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education brings its third annual RightsFest, a traveling, pan-ethnic, civil rights film festival, to New York City’s Tribeca Cinemas from September 6-8, 2012.
Inspired by the national dialogue about sports and equality during the height of “Linsanity” in February, the 40th anniversary of Title IX in June, and Oscar Pistorius’ historic participation in the London Olympics, RightsFest 2012 shines a spotlight on civil rights and sports. This year’s festival offers six documentary films about athletes who face equal challenges on and off the track, field or court, due to their race, gender or disability.

Opening night: Thursday, September 6
The 90th Minute (24 min) compels viewers to think about the way we value women’s sports. More than a decade after the 1999 Women’s World Cup, when players like Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain inspired girls across the country to take up soccer, the Women’s Professional Soccer league still cannot survive. In May, just months after The 90th Minute’s release, the WPS folded completely.
* Director Jun Stinson will join a Q&A discussion following the screening.

Jesse Owens (56 min), a 2012 American Experience film produced by Firelight Media (Freedom Riders, The Murder of Emmett Till), delves beyond the sprinter’s stunning performance at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany to tell the story of the son of a sharecropper who becomes a world champion, only to be confronted by the harsh realities of celebrity.
* Director Laurens Grant will join a Q&A discussion following the screening.

Centerpiece presentations: Friday, September 7
Transcending: the Wat Misaka Story (50 min) chronicles the journey of the first minority basketball player in the NBA. Amidst a hostile racial climate that incarcerated 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans during World War II, Misaka prevails as a top college basketball player who is ultimately drafted by the New York Knicks in 1947.
* Co-directors Christine Toy Johnson and Bruce Alan Johnson will join a Q&A discussion following the screening.

In Her Corner (43 min) profiles 2012 Olympic bronze medal boxer Marlen Esparza. The 2012 Olympic Games were the first to allow women’s boxing, the last female sport to be included in the world’s most prestigious sporting competition. In Her Corner reflects the lives and many struggles of female boxers in this country.
* CNN host Soledad O’Brien will join a Q&A discussion following the screening.

Closing night: Saturday, September 8
Blind Ambition (12 min) introduces us to Simon Hill, a Paralympic soccer player who competes in England’s blind football league. In the world of professional soccer, celebrities and endorsements often drown out individual stories of struggle and sacrifice. Blind Ambition is a refreshingly beautiful portrait of one man’s pure love of the game.

Black Power Salute (58 min) examines one of the most iconic sports images ever captured: the raised fists of two sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, as they receive their medals during the 1968 Olympics. With the world watching, this single gesture of courage forces the spotlight onto the harsh reality faced by Black Americans.
* Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith, along with director Geoff Small, will join a Q&A discussion following the screening.

***
Tickets
Screenings are at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $8.00 per night and available for purchase at www.rightsfest.org.

About RightsFest
RightsFest is a traveling, pan-ethnic, civil rights film festival sponsored by the Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education. The annual RightsFest brings audiences a diverse range of social justice films as well as panels to discuss civil rights, activism, filmmaking, and community-bridging solutions. RightsFest 2012 is made possible by funding from Open Society Foundations. 2012 Community Co-sponsors include the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Asian CineVision, Black Documentary Collective, DV Republic, Firelight Media, Metropolitan Black Bar Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

About the Korematsu Institute
The Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education is a program of the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco. The Korematsu Institute is dedicated to advancing pan-ethnic civil and human rights through education. Founded in the name of the late civil rights hero Fred Korematsu, the Korematsu Institute develops and distributes free curriculum about Asian American history to teachers around the country. In 2010, the Institute led community efforts to pass California’s Fred Korematsu Day, the first day in US history named after an Asian American. Fred Korematsu is celebrated every January 30, on Mr. Korematsu’s birthday. For more information, visit www.KorematsuInstitute.org or www.FredKorematsuDay.org.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Epic Theatre Presents Jeanne Sakata’s Hold These Truths, starring Joel de la Fuente, May 20-21, 2012
President Obama Names Asian American Civil Rights Hero Gordon Hirabayashi Recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
Remembering Civil Rights Leader Gordon Hirabayashi,1918- 2012
Fred Korematsu, American Hero and Civil Rights Activist Dies at 86
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Fred Korematsu Becomes First Asian American in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Civil Rights Exhibition
Photos: A.B. Cruz III and Lillian Kimura Receive 2011 AALDEF Justice in Action Awards
Reverend Jesse Jackson & Beau Sia slated for 1st Annual Fred Korematsu Day Celebration at UC Berkeley
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Signs Fred Korematsu Day Bill, Bill Establishes January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution
Making the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution Bill a Reality
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Lia Chang Photos: AALDEF 2012 Justice in Action Honorees Parkin Lee, Jean Koh Peters and Fareed Zakaria

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honorees, Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group, Yale Law School Professor Jean Koh Peters, and CNN Host Fareed Zakaria. Photo by Lia Chang

CNN Host Fareed Zakaria, Yale Law School Professor Jean Koh Peters, and Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group were honored with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s (AALDEF) 2012 Justice in Action Awards on February 8, 2012 at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers in New York.

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) celebrated the Year of the Dragon with a Lunar New Year benefit at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers in New York on February 8, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Since 1987, AALDEF has awarded the Justice in Action Award to exceptional individuals for their efforts in advancing social justice and human rights for Asian Americans.

Aasif Mandvi, Sree Sreenivasan, Ayaz Shaikh, AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honorees CNN Host Fareed Zakaria, Yale Law School Professor Jean Koh Peters, Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group and presenter Hon. Efrain Alvarado. Photo by Lia Chang

Juju Chang, Emmy Award-winning correspondent for ABC News Nightline, and Sree Sreenivasan, Dean of Student Affairs and digital media professor at Columbia Journalism School were the co-emcees for the banquet of over 800, with Daily Show correspondent, actor, and master of satire Aasif Mandvi as the special guest.

AALDEF co-emcees Sree Sreenivasan and Juju Chang and Special Guest The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi...before they kept the audience laughing all night. Photo by Lia Chang

Chang and Sreenivasan, both long time supporters of AALDEF, began by sharing their highlights of the past year, from Chang’s interviews with celebrities like Celine Dion to Sreenivasan’s ambush by right-wing activist James O’Keefe.

AALDEF co-emcees Sree Sreenivasan and Juju Chang. Photo by Lia Chang

Among the guests at Pier Sixty in New York City were past Justice in Action Award recipients including actor BD Wong, Javade Chaudhri, Art Chong, A.B. Cruz III, Harold Koh, Sandra Leung, Don Liu and Alice Young.

Actor BD Wong, AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung, Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Photo by Lia Chang

Elected officials and judges were also part of the crowd, including New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin, and Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York – who currently graces the cover of TIME magazine (leading emcee Sreenivasan to joke that his celebrity factor was compensation for New York Knicks player Jeremy Lin’s absence.)

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group with U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung wished the audience a happy new year and reminded them of the necessity of their support. “There are reports of the NYPD’s targeting of Muslims and South Asians under the guise of national security,” said Fung. “Just this week, the Superbowl featured a racist political ad by Republican candidate Pete Hoekstra mocking Chinese people. So in the Year of the Dragon, we have our work cut out for us.”

AALDEF board president Tommy Shi and AALDEF Executive Director Margaret Fung. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree CNN Host Fareed Zakaria. Photo by Lia Chang

The power of the immigrant experience in the United States was a theme throughout all three acceptance speeches. “We are creating the first universal nation,” said honoree Fareed Zakaria. “Ten years before I became a citizen, I began using the word ‘we’ to describe the United States. There isn’t a country like this where people from all over the world come and are entirely included in the process.”

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group. Photo by Lia Chang

Parkin Lee, former president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Law Foundation and Vice President of The Rockefeller Group, spoke about his childhood growing up in a Chinese hand laundry after World War II. “This country was built on the strength and creativity of immigrants who came here and made lives for themselves,” said Lee.

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Yale Law Professor Jean Koh Lee. Photo by Lia Chang

Honoree Jean Koh Peters, the renowned children’s rights and immigrants’ rights scholar, reminded the audience of the value of public service. “Never let your skill exceed your virtue,” Peters said.

Special guest The Daily Show’s Aasif Mandvi. Photo by Lia Chang

The night ended with Aasif Mandvi’s hilarious and deeply politically incorrect stand-up. “I thought they were filming this portion of the show for Comedy Central, but really it’s for the NYPD,” he began. Mandvi added, “AALDEF is at the forefront of fighting for the rights of Muslim Americans. If you believe that all Americans should live in a free and equal society – I can’t imagine why you would – then please support the organization.”

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honorees Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group and CNN Host Fareed Zakaria with Preet Bharara, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Photo by Lia Chang

Past Justice in Action Award recipients include the late civil rights icons Fred Korematsu and Gordon Hirabayashi, David Henry Hwang, Mira Nair, Deval Patrick, Salman Rushdie, Seymour Hersh, Charles Ogletree, Jr., Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, Harry Belafonte, Juan Gonzalez, Margaret Cho, and Yoko Ono.

The Rockefeller Group was a 2012 Justice Circle sponsor.

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honorees, CNN Host Fareed Zakaria, Yale Law School Professor Jean Koh Peters and Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group. Photo by Lia Chang

The 2012 Justice in Action Award Recipients

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree CNN Host Fareed Zakaria. Photo by Lia Chang

Fareed Zakaria has had one of the most illustrious careers in the history of American journalism. At the age of 28, he became the managing editor of Foreign Affairs magazine straight out of Harvard University’s political science doctoral program. From 2000 to 2010, Zakaria was editor of Newsweek International. He is currently editor-at-large of TIME magazine, host of CNN‘s Fareed Zakaria GPS, a Washington Post columnist, and the New York Times bestselling author of The Post-American World and The Future of Freedom, among other critically-acclaimed works.

AALDEF board member Ayaz Shaikh presents CNN Host Fareed Zakaria with the AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 Award. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF co-emcee Sree Sreenivasan with his wife Roopa and AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree CNN Host Fareed Zakaria. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Yale Law Professor Jean Koh Lee. Photo by Lia Chang

Renowned children’s rights and immigrants’ rights scholar Jean Koh Peters began her career at Yale Law School in 1989 after teaching for three years at Columbia Law School. In 2009, she was named the Sol Goldman Clinical Professor of Law at Yale, and she currently supervises students representing clients in the Sol and Lillian Goldman Family Advocacy for Children and Youth Clinic and the Immigration Legal Services Clinic. She has authored the book Representing Children in Child Protective Proceedings: Ethical and Practical Dimensions, now in its third edition.

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Yale Law Professor Jean Koh Lee. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Yale Law Professor Jean Koh Lee, with presenter Susan Bryant of CUNY Law School. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group. Photo by Lia Chang

Before joining The Rockefeller Group as Vice President and Chief Legal Officer in 2008, Parkin Lee worked with the New York Life Insurance Company for 20 years in a variety of positions. Throughout his distinguished professional career, Lee has been a pillar of the Asian American legal community, serving as President of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) Law Foundation, which awards scholarships to law students who demonstrate a commitment to serve or contribute to the Asian American community as future leaders.

Hon. Efrain Alvarado presents AALDEF’s Justice in Action 2012 Award to Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group. Photo by Lia Chang

AALDEF Justice in Action 2012 honoree Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group. Photo by Lia Chang

Honoree Parkin Lee with AALDEF favorite and past honoree BD Wong. Photo by Lia Chang

The Lunar New Year Gala
Since 1987, AALDEF has presented the Justice in Action Awards to exceptional individuals for their efforts in advancing social justice and human rights for Asian Americans. The Justice in Action Award recipients are chosen for their contributions to Asian American communities across the nation, as well as for their singular achievements in their respective fields.

AALDEF 2007 Justice in Action honoree Javade Chaudhri (second from left) and 2011 Justice in Action honoree AB Cruz III (fourth from the left) celebrate the Year of the Dragon with friends and colleagues at AALDEF's Lunar New Year Benefit at Pier Sixty, Chelsea Piers in New York on February 8, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Each year, AALDEF presents the Justice in Action Awards at its annual Lunar New Year Gala, a celebration of Asian Americans in civil rights, law, business, and the arts.

All proceeds from the Lunar New Year Gala will go directly towards supporting AALDEF’s legal and educational programs in immigrant rights, economic justice for workers, voting rights and civic participation, affirmative action, language access to services, youth rights and educational equity, housing and environmental justice, Census policy, and the elimination of hate violence, police misconduct, and human trafficking.

The AALDEF Board of Directors: Ayaz R. Shaikh, Ko-Yung Tung, Tommy Shi, Denley Y. Chew, Lauren U.Y. Lee, Phil Nash. Photo by Lia Chang

Related Articles:
AALDEF Honors Parkin Lee, Jean Koh Peters, and CNN’s Fareed Zakaria with 2012 Justice in Action Awards in New York on February 8, 2012
Remembering Civil Rights Leader Gordon Hirabayashi,1918- 2012
Photos: A.B. Cruz III and Lillian Kimura Receive 2011 AALDEF Justice in Action Awards
A.B. Cruz III of Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc., Lillian Kimura To Receive 2011 Justice in Action Awards
Reverend Jesse Jackson & Beau Sia slated for 1st Annual Fred Korematsu Day Celebration on 1/30/11 at UC Berkeley
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Signs Fred Korematsu Day Bill, Bill Establishes January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution
AALDEF and the 33rd Asian American International Film Festival co-sponsors screenings of 9500 Liberty and Lt Watada
Juan Gonzalez and Larry Tu Received AALDEF 2010 Justice in Action Awards in New York
Multimedia: AALDEF Celebrates 35 Years of Protecting and Promoting the Civil Rights of Asian Americans
AALDEF Honors Dale Minami, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl Wudunn and Sandra Leung with 2009 Justice in Action Awards

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Linsanity: Sports Illustrated Cover Guy New York Knicks Starting Point Guard Jeremy Lin
Athol Fugard’s Blood Knot, starring Colman Domingo & Scott Shepherd in The Alice Griffith Jewel Box at The Pershing Square Signature Center through March 11, 2012
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Cindy Cheung’s solo show SPEAK UP CONNIE, directed by BD Wong at Stage Left Studio has been extended, February 5-15, 2012
broadwayworld.com: Photo Flash: SPEAK UP CONNIE In Rehearsal
Feb. 13: Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang Moderates “RepresentAsian: The Changing Face of New York Theater” at Pope Auditorium at Fordham University
Larry Bryggman, Peter Jay Fernandez, Arliss Howard and David Pittu Set for Atlantic Theater Company’s CQ/CX, January 25-March 4, 2012
Ma-Yi Theatre Company Presents Qui Nguyen’s THE INEXPLICABLE REDEMPTION OF AGENT G at Theatre Row’s Beckett Theatre, 2/7 – 3/4
Photos: Eiko Ishioka
Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert and Minnesota Tour, February 9-19, 2012
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Photos & Video: Celebrate Chinese New Year with David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish through January 29, 2012
Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert and Minnesota Tour, February 9-19, 2012
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo opening night of Neil LaBute’s The Break of Noon
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

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Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist. In 2010, the Library of Congress established The Lia Chang APA Theater Portfolio in the Asian Pacific American Performing Arts Collection housed in the Library of Congress Asian Division’s Asian Pacific American Islander Collection.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@liachangphotography.com.

Fred Korematsu Becomes First Asian American in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery Civil Rights Exhibition

On February 2, civil rights icon Fred T. Korematsu will become the first Asian American featured in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery permanent exhibition, “The Struggle for Justice.” Two 1940s-era original photographs of Korematsu will be presented on February 2 at 9:30 a.m. at the Portrait Gallery, Eighth and G Streets, NW in Washington, D.C.,in a private event featuring speakers including the Honorable Norman Y. Mineta. The photographs will be available for public view when the museum opens at 11:30 a.m.

Justice in Action honoree Fred Korematsu at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund Lunar New Year benefit at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York, on February 22, 2002. Photo by Lia Chang

The event takes place just three days after the second annual Fred Korematsu Day, an official day of special significance passed in the state of California in 2010. Celebrated every January 30, on Korematsu’s birthday, Fred Korematsu Day is the first day in U.S. history named after an Asian American.

The National Portrait Gallery’s “The Struggle for Justice” exhibition opened in 2010 and features many images of individuals who have worked on behalf of civil rights, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Eunice Kennedy Shriver and César Chávez. The museum, which drew in one million visitors last year, is the first museum not specifically focused on the Japanese American experience to include Mr. Korematsu’s story. To date, the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, the Japanese American Museum of San Jose, CA, the Manzanar Interpretive Center in Independence, CA, and the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center in Powell, WY all feature Mr. Korematsu in their exhibits.

Kathryn and Fred Korematsu sit in a bench dedicated to JFK Jr. in a courtyard adjacent to the NYU Law School Auditorium in April, 2000. Photo by Lia Chang

“The Struggle for Justice” is a growing exhibition that will continue to evolve,” said Martin Sullivan, director of the National Portrait Gallery. “I am proud to include Fred Korematsu in this exhibition and to continue to tell his story alongside those who have worked on behalf of those who are striving for equality and inclusion.”

In 1942, Korematsu was a 23-year-old welder in Oakland, California who defied military orders to incarcerate 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans. After he was arrested and convicted of defying the order, he appealed his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1944 upheld his conviction on the grounds that the internment was justified due to military necessity. That decision has been widely condemned as one of the darkest chapters in American legal history.

After four decades of living with a disloyalty conviction on his record, Korematsu and a team of pro-bono attorneys re-opened his case, arguing that WWII government lawyers had hidden key documents contradicting their claim of military necessity from the Supreme Court. In 1983, a federal court in San Francisco overturned Korematsu’s conviction. Korematsu went on to champion the cause of civil liberties, not only seeking redress for Japanese Americans who were wrongfully incarcerated, but also traveling the country to advocate for the civil rights of other victims of repressive government action. After 9/11, he co-authored friend-of-the-court briefs on behalf of Muslim Americans being held without trial in U.S. military prisons. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 86.

Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery
Eighth and G Streets, NW
Washington, D.C.

Other Fred Korematsu Day events:
There are 16 Fred Korematsu Day public events taking place this year in California, Washington, DC and Hawaii. For more information, visit:
http://korematsuinstitute.org/fredkorematsuday/fred-korematsu-day-events/

The Korematsu Institute ships free teaching kits to classrooms around the country. The Institute can put reporters in touch with teachers in various cities who are planning to teach the Korematsu story to their students on January 30 or the surrounding days.

# # #

The Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education (www.korematsuinstitute.org), a program of the Asian Law Caucus, is dedicated to advancing pan-ethnic civil rights and human rights through education.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Reverend Jesse Jackson & Beau Sia slated for 1st Annual Fred Korematsu Day Celebration at UC Berkeley
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Signs Fred Korematsu Day Bill, Bill Establishes January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution
Making the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution Bill a Reality
Fred Korematsu, American Hero and Civil Rights Activist Dies at 86
Multimedia: AALDEF Celebrates 35 Years of Protecting and Promoting the Civil Rights of Asian Americans
AALDEF Honors Dale Minami, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl Wudunn and Sandra Leung with 2009 Justice in Action Awards
Remembering Civil Rights Leader Gordon Hirabayashi,1918- 2012
Photos & Video: Celebrate Chinese New Year with David Henry Hwang’s Chinglish through January 29, 2012
DTC’s Production Photos of Giant featuring Aaron Lazar, Kate Baldwin,P.J. Griffith, Dee Hoty, Raul Aranas & Katie Thompson
Photos: Maya Lin, BD Wong, David Henry Hwang, Yeohlee, Oscar L. Tang and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at MOCA Legacy Awards Gala
Portraits of New York Chinatown After 9/11 Featured in “Post 9/11”: Commemorative Display at Library of Congress Asian Reading Room, 8/30-9/15
Coming to America through The Angel Island Immigration Station
OCA Awards Gala Photos: David Henry Hwang, Tamlyn Tomita, BD Wong, Dr. Bobby Fong & Tammy Duckworth
Celebrating my mom – AN ACTIVE VISION: BEVERLY UMEHARA…LABOR ACTIVIST…1945-1999
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

Lia Chang: AALDEF Honors Parkin Lee, Jean Koh Peters, and CNN’s Fareed Zakaria with 2012 Justice in Action Awards in New York on February 8, 2012

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) will honor Parkin Lee of The Rockefeller Group, Yale Law professor Jean Koh Peters, and Fareed Zakaria, CNN host and Time editor-at-large with the 2012 Justice in Action Awards, at its Annual Lunar New Year Gala on Wednesday, February 8, 2011 at PIER SIXTY, Chelsea Piers, in New York City.

2012 Justice in Action Award Honorees Fareed Zakaria, Jean Koh Peters and Parkin Lee

The co-emcees for the evening are Juju Chang, Emmy Award-winning correspondent for ABC News Nightline, and Sree Sreenivasan, Dean of Student Affairs and digital media professor at Columbia Journalism School.

Juju Chang, Emmy Award-winning correspondent for ABC News Nightline, and Sree Sreenivasan, dean of student affairs and digital media professor at Columbia School of Journalism will co-emcee. Photo by Lia Chang

The AALDEF Justice in Action Awards recognize exceptional individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions in advancing justice and equality. Past recipients include the late civil rights icons Fred Korematsu and Gordon Hirabayashi, David Henry Hwang, Harold Koh, Mira Nair, Deval Patrick, Salman Rushdie, BD Wong, Seymour Hersh, Charles Ogletree, Jr., Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn, Harry Belafonte, Margaret Cho, and Yoko Ono.

Over 600 leaders of the civil rights, legal, business, and arts communities are expected to attend AALDEF’s 2012 Lunar New Year Gala celebrating the Year of the Dragon. The Gala begins with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception and silent auction, followed by the Justice in Action Awards ceremony and a banquet dinner.

Reserve Tickets: Tables of ten, available at $50,000, $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000, include a VIP reception. Individual tickets start at $500. To reserve seating, please contact Lillian Ling at 212.966.5932 ex. 202 or email events@aaldef.org.

Proceeds from the Lunar New Year Gala benefit AALDEF’s legal and educational programs in immigrant rights, economic justice for workers, voting rights and civic participation, affirmative action, language access to services, youth rights and educational equality, housing and environmental justice, Census policy, and the elimination of hate violence, police misconduct and human trafficking.

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), founded in 1974, is a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. By combining litigation, advocacy, education, and organizing, AALDEF works with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all.

Related Articles:
Remembering Civil Rights Leader Gordon Hirabayashi,1918- 2012
Photos: A.B. Cruz III and Lillian Kimura Receive 2011 AALDEF Justice in Action Awards
A.B. Cruz III of Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc., Lillian Kimura To Receive 2011 Justice in Action Awards
Reverend Jesse Jackson & Beau Sia slated for 1st Annual Fred Korematsu Day Celebration on 1/30/11 at UC Berkeley
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Signs Fred Korematsu Day Bill, Bill Establishes January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution
AALDEF and the 33rd Asian American International Film Festival co-sponsors screenings of 9500 Liberty and Lt Watada
Juan Gonzalez and Larry Tu Received AALDEF 2010 Justice in Action Awards in New York
Multimedia: AALDEF Celebrates 35 Years of Protecting and Promoting the Civil Rights of Asian Americans
AALDEF Honors Dale Minami, Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl Wudunn and Sandra Leung with 2009 Justice in Action Awards

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Asia Society Honors Chinglish Playwright David Henry Hwang and Former Deputy Secretary of State John C. Whitehead at the Waldorf Astoria on January 11, 2012
Cindy Cheung Debuts SPEAK UP CONNIE…Her Solo Show at Stage Left Studio, January 17-25, 2012
Mu Daiko 15th Anniversary Concert and Minnesota Tour, February 9-19, 2012
Aaron Lazar, Kate Baldwin, P.J. Griffith, Raul Aranas Set for the Dallas Theater Center/Public Theater Co-Production of Giant at the Wyly Theatre, January 18 – February 19, 2012
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
DOGS LIE, Starring Samrat Chakrabarti, Frank Boyd and Ewa Da Cruz, Nabs ”Best Film (USA)” and ”Feature Film Audience Award” at 2011 ITN Distribution Film and New Media Festival
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

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Lia Chang is an actor, performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multimedia journalist.

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